


Tales from the 'Tri' verse.

by LILFOC1



Category: Digimon - All Media Types, Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02, Digimon Adventure tri.
Genre: Angst, Chosen Children - Freeform, Crack, Digidestined, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Random - Freeform, Shippy, Slice of Life, Tales of the tri verse, interludes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-26
Updated: 2017-09-30
Packaged: 2018-08-27 05:56:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 77,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8389810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LILFOC1/pseuds/LILFOC1
Summary: Imported from my account at Fanfiction.net. A series of one-shots based on the relationships between the original chosen and set around the events of 'Digimon Adventure Tri.' (Warning: This story may contain spoilers). Tales with range from the cracky,to the shippy, to the fluffy, angsty,ect. Open to ideas and feedback.First Story: Jou tries to figure out the mystery of Taichi and Yamato's missing backpacks.Second Story: She was supposed to be the mum of the group right? So why couldn't she hold it together?Third Story: In which Mimi and Yamato cook together....and Yamato regrets it!Forth story: Hiroaki and Natsuko discuss what they can do about the media's coverage of the Digimon.





	1. Backpacks

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or its characters!

Author's Note: Hello, LILFOC here! Some of you may recognise me as a regular reviewer and after years of reading fanfiction I've decided to try write some of my own. The intention is to write one-shots based before and during the timeline of tri (so beware of spoilers) focusing on the things revealed in the movies (so as of now I won't speculate as to what is happening after Confession). Stories will range from the cracky (as the first one is), to the fluffy, to the shippy, ect. I apologise if my writing is a little stiff as I've not written creatively since school ended (but give me formal business letters to do and I can crank them out no problem.) Anyways I hope those who give this a chance like it and I would appreciate feedback and ideas for other one-shots.

This first one-shot is based after the events of confession and on a hilarious post on tumbr (link: post/150882498345/rainbow09-on-my-love1514-ok-yamato-taichi). I've tried to include as many of the speculations given in this post as possible. Also I make references to the manga 'Gintama' (as the anime didn't come out till 2006 and tri is set in 2005), if you havn't seen it..I recommend you check it out and apologise to those who don't get the joke (alot of the humour here is derived from Gintama's style)

BACKPACKS.

Jou was exhausted.

Well sure the day was far from over; the evening sun shone brightly in the sky and no one had started complaining…yet. Which was surprising considering the fact the group had arrived and trekked across the Digiworld, run away from two battling ultimate level Digimon and just found their amnesia plagued partners.

Yep…Jou felt he was very much entitled to be exhausted, both physically and mentally. Nevertheless he couldn't help but notice (and point out) that something was amiss as the team settled down for a break and the Digimon nestled in their arms.

'Um… Yamato… Taichi…. Where the hell are your backpacks?'

The aforementioned parties just looked at him, the former with a perfectly sculpted eyebrow quirked and the latter with a lazy shrug. Jou couldn't help but respond to this 'No seriously… did you two not prepare at all? What are you afraid this will hurt your street cred? I mean everyone else brought supplies! It's not like we're going home anytime soon!' The rest of the team were watching the conversation now, with Yamato and Taichi still not looking bothered in the slightest. Jou rubbed his temples, this was probably gonna lead to a headache.

Taichi was the first to respond 'relax Jou! I don't need one…I've managed before and the goggles are supplies enough.' Taichi then proceeded to strike a dramatic pose as Yamato 'casually' leaned back against a tree, arms folded and sunlight glinting off his fair hair. It was the most ridiculous thing Jou had ever seen and to add insult to the injury Yamato (who probably thought his attitude would be enough to carry him through an undetermined amount of time in a monster infested world) decided now was the time to agree with Taichi on something (which was a very bad thing considering one of the last times that happed Jou ended up knocked unconscious by Gommamon and naked on an onsen floor…Taichi and Yamato's combined stupidity was clearly bad for his health).

'There's no need Jou… trust us we've got this! Please don't get worked up over this!' remarked Yamato having the decency to look slightly guilty as his eyes roamed briefly over to where his younger brother and Hikari were sitting. That was when the penny dropped for Jou (there was also a murmured 'there's nothing rock and rolling about having a huge backpack strap across your chest' from Yamato but Jou decided to ignore that).

'You two idiots got your siblings to carry your stuff for you!' Bukamon was outright sniggering in his arms and Taichi (not a drop of shame in his eyes) proudly declared 'see problem solved Jou! We don't need backpacks when younger siblings are much more efficient!'

It was at this point the said younger siblings decided to add their two cents in. 'Its alright Jou-sempai, I don't mind… Oni-Chan agreed to occasionally carry the bag.' (aww sweet Hikari, brother-lover that she was, reduced to a silently suffering pack mule…bless her cotton socks).

Takeru looked up from currently squishing his cheek against Tokomon, a sparkle in his eyes Jou hadn't seen in a while (though was none the less weary off). 'Exactly, one of us had to be responsible and I couldn't let Aniki's image be marred by the heavy straps of a backpack now could I? Not when he has the weight of his marital problems with Taichi to shoulder! What kind of brother would that make me?' At this Yamato ceased his majestic posing against the tree to shoot his brother an annoyed look (tarnishing said image). Jou almost felt sorry for him… Sweet baby faced Takeru could sometimes be downright troll (Jou was still a little salty about the 'is she human' comment).

Jou was determined, despite these comments (and risks to his mental wellbeing), to drive his point across. With a frustrated sigh he turned to the guilty parties, glasses glinting 'What's wrong with you two? Have you no shame? They're younger than you! You should be setting a good example for them! Why do we follow you two idiots? Don't you agree Sora?' he said, turning to his fellow parental figure of the group (and hopefully sane ally).

Sora looked up from where she had been softly conversing with Piyokomon, a distracted look in her eye. 'Huh… oh sorry Jou-Sempai, I wasn't paying too much attention but don't worry I anticipated their actions and packed and extra bag.'

In response to this Jou ended up flinging his arms (and his partner…good thing Bukamon could float!) into the air his voice raising several decibel levels 'why are you encouraging them!' (Seriously what fresh hell was this?). He crushed his feelings of dejection as Sora proceeded to ignore him and softly caress the petals on Piyokomon's head (Sora had been out of sorts since they reunited). Jou pinched the bridge of his nose as the 100th sigh since the conversation began escaped his lips while Mimi sauntered over to give him a pat on the shoulder 'looks like you're stuck as the group's straight man Jou.' He couldn't help but chuckle at that 'I now know how Shimura Shinpachi feels.'

Of course when misfortune struck Jou it tended to hold him in its vice like grip and what he intended to be a silent murmur ended up being herd by everyone. He looked up to a mixture of amused and confused looks and a chorus of comments.

'Whats a Shinpachi?' (Montimon), 'Is it tasty?' (Koromon), 'You read Gintama Jou-sempai?' (Hikari), 'Shinpachi is a human wearing pair of glasses from the manga series Gintama. He reacts to the other characters insanity though the power of shrieking.' (Takeru; who was trying to be helpful but only raised a barrage of more questions from the Digimon), 'Are you and Otaku Jou? I bet you are!' (Taichi, followed by majestic sniggers from Yamato…Jou almost wished they would start punching each other) and 'you look like a human wearing pair of glasses' (from Bukamon… he was being strangely silent; it was honestly about time he said something).

Just as Jou was about to bash his head in (or suffer an aneurism from the sheer stupidity surrounding him) Koushiro finally decided it was his turn to speak. 'I'd actually say the animators who got lazy with designing us different clothes and just decided to stick us in our uniforms… as if those are the best clothes for exploring the digital world… realized they couldn't be bothered/couldn't afford to give us all backpacks. Therefore they looked at which two of us were the least likely to bring one, decided Taichi and Yamato where the most impractical and went with it.'

Silence followed this revelation as Koushiro turned back to his laptop, broken only by a whisper from a wide eyed Mimi. 'Koushiro are you Deadpool?'

'Whats a Deadpool?'

Jou of course never heard the answer because he walked away from the conversation completely done. Wishing he had the opportunity to re-write his will because his friends were a lot more likely to kill him than any rouge Digimon.


	2. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon
> 
> Author's note: May I present you...One-Shot number two! I apologise for any typos (I'm writing this kinnda late). I wanna thank all those who took the time to read, review and follow my story. Once again feel free to comment, offer ideas and feedback!
> 
> This story is a complete 180' from the previous one. Its a very angsty story from Sora's POV after the events of episode 4 of confession (Major spoilers...be warned). I did my best to capture everyone's emotions but this is a rather ambitious piece and I'm not sure how much I succeeded.

Aftermath

'Alice in Wonderland' was Sora's favourite story as a little girl. She remembered laughing at the sheer lack of sense everything made (much like their adventures in the Digiworld) and scoffing at the part where Alice met the Mad Hatter and his friends. How silly it was of them to piss off the Lord of Time himself and forever be stuck in that single moment of time (one minute before tea time if she remembered correctly).

Taking that into account and her present circumstances, Sora couldn't help but wonder whether the Lord of Time was playing a cruel joke and what had she and her friends done to deserve it. It felt like she had been standing there for an eternity since the partner Digimon had disappeared along with the distortion, since time had stopped and silence had embraced her.

Koushiro's laptop screen flashed red, the worlds 'REBOOT COMPLETE' as stark and powerful as a bullet to the heart. Looking at those words Sora had never felt so much, yet felt so empty at the same time.

Piyomon was gone… their partners were gone…gone…gone…gone. Probably dead, most likely rebooted, their human partners most definitely forgotten.

If Sora allowed herself to feel more she may have hysterically laughed at the solution for the infected Digimon boiling down to a simple 'did you turn it off and on again.' Who knew that could take away so much?

It seemed however that the Lord of Time had decided to release her (she wasn't sure that was much better) as the silence and stillness was broken by Takeru's soft voice. 'Patamon was the first one infected…. But I couldn't say a thing because I was afraid.'

It was just a few days earlier that Sora had admitted to herself and to Piyomon (oh god she didn't want to think of Piyomon now) that she was 'the mum of the group' and it was those instincts that snapped her out of her daze. As Sora came back to herself she noticed Takeru bursting into tears, Yamato rushing over to embrace his brother (as much for himself as it was for Takeru), Mimi falling to her knees sobbing and Meiko clutching her hands over her mouth as tears streamed down her face. If she looked a little more she would notice how Hikari's brown eyes filled with tears of sorrow and disbelief and Taichi's pained expression as he clenched his fists (Soon he would have to open his eyes and confront reality). She noticed as Koushiro stood up, his usually intelligent eyes staring ahead not comprehending anything, his laptop discarded on the ground and she noticed how much Jou was shaking as he softly and repeatedly called Gommamon's name. Looking very much like a tall and spindly tree about to be uprooted by the wind, she wanted to reach out and prevent him from falling. She wanted to reach out and care for them all, sooth their pain and do her best to bandage their wounds. She was the mother of the group right? So it should be easy to help them surely? Much easier than focusing on how much she was hurting…but she couldn't. Her own glass walls of emotion both so poignant and so lacking prevented her from doing so.

'We shouldn't stay here for too long…' Mr Nishijima's voice broke through the silence, his tone low and his eyes full of sympathy (but he could never understand what it was like to lose a partner…oh god…poor Takeru-Kun had lost his twice! Sora wished desperately to both embrace him and to run away…..neither of which she could do) 'I'll take all of you home.'

Wanting to ignore him but knowing their 'teacher' was right the Digidestined followed him to the parked jeep. The seating area at the back as symbolically cold and empty as they felt. Sora felt detached from her body now, tethered to it like a balloon to a bed post. She again could only watch as Hikari burrowed into her brothers arms, shoulders shaking with silent sobs and as Meiko sat as far away from the rest of them as she could. Head down and shoulder hunched, Sora felt like she should try console new girl but at the moment she couldn't really bring herself care.

She could not hate herself more for her inaction as she watched Jou carefully place Koushiro's laptop in its owner's arms. That's right; she remembered her friend had left behind his prized procession as he tried to get into the van as fast as his legs would allow him. She had seen it happen; she could have picked it up for him but she didn't (thank goodness for Jou!).

Nishijima had started the jeep and the Digidestined watched as they got further away from the battle ground. They weren't taken home immediately, Nishijima was stationed at the school for a reason, he was deeply empathetic and he knew none of the children (even if they didn't say it) were quite ready to be alone or go home to their empty bedrooms. He bought them hot tea to sip on and just drove, taking random streets until the sun had set and he figured the kids were as ready as they'll ever be to go home.

The jeep remained silent the whole while, broken only by the occasional muffled sob and shuffle of one of the younger teenagers, both of whom had cried themselves to sleep (In Takeru's case it was more like he had passed out from a combination of despair and exhaustion, the culmination of several nights of sleep lost to dealing with Patamon's infection. In Hikari's case her sleep was more a light and uneasy doze). Sora was eventually reeled back into her body as the vehicle jolted to a stop in front of Meiko and the Yagami sibling's building. Hikari was immediately awake (albeit groggy but then she's always been a light sleeper, even when she was eight) and she clutched onto Taichi as they stood to leave. Sora reached out to steady her but was too late to even offer a word of comfort to Meiko as her friend bolted out of the jeep's open doors. Sora then turned her eyes towards Taichi (she had to try now…Her friends were hurting and she wanted to help them. Surely that would be much better than thinking about how much she already missed Piyomon?)

'Is there anything I can do? Anything you need? Please don't hesitate to call me!' Taichi just returned her gaze (his eyes shouldn't look so old…) 'It's alright Sora… We'll cope…' he said softly, his mouth twisting into a weary grin 'even a mama bears got to look after herself!' It felt like a shot to the heart and Taichi knew it immediately. His expression turned panicked 'I…I…mean… you need to worry about yourself too…I'm sorry Sora.' (He didn't need to apologise, she knew he didn't mean it…it was her that wasn't good enough). Not sure what else he could do he turned to his sister 'Hikari are you ready to go?' The girl briefly nodded before reaching over to touch her best friend's hair 'Takeru-Kun…' (Sora remembered how Hikari had held him from the moment he collapsed after Angemon succumbed to the infection).

Yamato finally spoke 'I'll look after him Hikari-Chan…' (Sora couldn't help but notice how his arms tightened around his brother, knuckles turning white). 'Thank you Yamato- San…' Hikari was then quick to latch onto her brother, who shared a brief look and nod with Yamato before bidding everyone goodnight. He then shot Sora one last apologetic look, before he and his sister finally stumbled out of the jeep arms wrapped around the other's waist.

Nishijima started the jeep again, Sora took the seat next to Takeru and Yamato as the silence returned. Takeru looked so small, face tucked into the crook of his brother's neck, the tears that had long since dried leaving a web of tear tracks down his face. Sora was about to say something to Yamato but she was cut off by Nishijima announcing they had arrived at Takeru's apartment complex. The teacher then turned around to address Yamato 'I'll wait until you drop him off and then take you home.' 'Not need to bother Sensei….. Take the others home… no need to get up Jou… I'm gonna stay with my brother. I don't want to leave him alone.'

Sora helped Yamato pull Takeru onto his back, getting out of the jeep with him. She briefly, much as Hikari had done earlier, rested her hand on top of his head as if she could channel what strength she had into him. She then lifted her other hand to touch Yamato's shoulder before asking 'You don't want to be alone either do you?' Blue eyes met hers, before he broke into a sad smile 'Yeah.' And then he left. She couldn't help but watch him go; he was so much like her… when he was hurt he channelled his energy into looking after others. She suddenly longed for the days when they were dating, before they drifted into the hard-to-define status their relationship was in now (of loving each other but not quite being together), when they would sit for hours on his balcony saying nothing and holding hands. She wanted it now but she knew she would never be able to break through his defences and ground him the way his baby brother did.

Nishijima called her back into the jeep, as she got back in she couldn't help but notice how much more imposing the silence was. She looked towards the remaining Digidestined; Mimi's head was gently resting against Jou's shoulder as she let out the occasional whimper and Jou had his phone open, staring at the name of the person who could only be his girlfriend, his finger hovering over the 'dial' button. Sora sat next to Koushiro (who had his head in his hands), ignoring the pool of oolong tea that had spilled on the floor, resting her hand on his shoulder as she did so (She had the crest of Love… She had to think of the others...If she didn't then she would think of Piyomon and she couldn't handle it right now) and was rewarded with a small smile of gratitude for her efforts.

It wasn't long before they arrived at Mimi's, Mr Nishijima standing up to escort her to her door (as he had done for the others). Sora watched her best friend stand up, still graceful despite looking like a wilted flower, giving everyone left a brief hug before she departed. Her hug with Sora lasted a little longer as Sora asked her to 'do her best to get a goodnight sleep' and tried to rub away the tears that still escaped her friend's eyes.

Koushiro was next to be dropped home but his departure was different from the others. While the others had left dejected (or practically unconscious in Takeru's case), the bearer of Knowledge seemed to have come to a realization of sorts. He gave her had a grateful pat as he got up, looked both Jou and Sora in the eye with the promise he would think of a solution, then bowed politely and thanked Mr Nishijima. He then left, determination in his eyes and his back straighter than it had been before.

And then there were two… the journey to Sora's once again took place in relative silence, broken only by the sounds of traffic and the random snatches of conversation caught through the open window. Sora was dimly aware of the jeep coming to a stop, before Nishijima was opening the door and announcing that he would walk her to the complex's entrance. She turned to her friend and said 'goodnight Jou-Sempai' before getting up to leave. She was however stopped by a hand on her wrist and before she knew it she found herself in Jou's tight embrace. 'Before you say this is out of character for me… I j…just want you to know that Taichi's right….you need to look after yourself too….and thank you for looking after the others.'

'But I didn't do a very good job!'

'Sora-san, you did your best and that's enough.' She was then released from the hug and he returned to his seat.

Feeling almost displaced, Sora could only mutely nod at him before she followed her teacher to the entrance of her building. She then thanked him and after receiving advice from him along the same lines Jou gave her, went inside. It was a full ten minutes before she could even bring herself to open the door.

It was just as she turned the handle that everything; all the pain, shock, feelings of uselessness and silence from the evening finally came crashing down on her. She flung open the front door, startling her mother before bolting to her room (she barely heard her mother's confused questions as to where she had been so long and where was Piyomon). Sora then proceeded to wrap herself in her futon (only stopping to kick off her sticky shoes) before curling into a foetal position under the covers, she didn't even realize she was sucking in huge gulps of air as she squeezed her eyes shut and shook uncontrollably.

Piyomon was gone…gone….gone! What use was those six years of memories if she didn't have anyone to share them with?

In her grief she almost missed the sound of footsteps entering her room and her covers being lifted as her Mother slipped under the futon and warm arms wrapped around her. It was then that Sora allowed herself to cry tears of anger, frustration and sadness until she was exhausted.

For the first time in years, since she was a little girl eager to hear about Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Sora slept in her mother's arms.

After all how could she be a mother to anyone else, when all she wanted since her partner was lost was her own mother?


	3. Cooking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.
> 
> Author's note: May I present to thee...Chapter three! This is another humorous chapter and I have to thank the ever-so-lovely Shrimproll on Fanfiction.net for giving me the inspiration for this. She basically suggested I play around a bit more with the 'Gintama-esq' humour I inserted into the first chapter. So I've really run with it this time...and inserted my own healthy dose of insanity into it (I can blame four years of law school for making me into a crazy person).
> 
> This chapter was a difficult one to start writing so I apologise if the beginning is a bit stiff but by the end of it I was really having a ton of fun! Hope you like it! Brownie points to those that get all the references =)

Cooking

The premise seemed simple enough; it was a Saturday, the Digidestined (Even Jou… well more like he was forced to come) had planned to have dinner at Yamato's apartment and everyone would contribute something towards their meal.

Yep it was simple enough and Yamato (being the most competent cook) was all set to prepare a feast.

His mistake; he accepted Mimi's offer of help, his friend has just come back from America after all (it would be a good opportunity to catch up) and some help surely wouldn't hurt. The problem being that he forgot how batshit insane Mimi was (and he thought Taichi's over seasoning of his lunch was sacrilegious! How naive could he have been?)

He actually really missed Taichi as he watched Mimi mix strawberries, pickles, kimchi and whipped cream into the rice dish they had been preparing. His eye started twitching and his forehead vain throbbed as he witnessed the formation of an abomination (hey that rhymed… he could use that when he eventually wrote a song. He'd need one to cope with this traumatic experience). Give him 'Knife of Ramen' any day! At least Taichi could be distracted with a video game or some football related thing or the other, with Mimi he had no such luck.

'Excuse me….Mimi…. what the hell are you doing to the rice?'

'Bejazzaling it silly! Plain rice can be…like…so boring!' (Mimi accompanied this statement with a little giggle, a twirl and the peace sign).

If Mimi intended to sooth Yamato with that statement, she had failed horribly as the bearer of friendship tuned redder than a tomato and started spluttering. 'B…Boring! Rice isn't boring! It's an accompaniment to all your main dishes that should be treated with respect! Why would you mix kimchi and whipped cream? Not even the Digimon would eat that!'

Mimi (clearly oblivious to his pain) looked rather offended and sniffed haughtily as she turned to some other unidentifiable concoction (Yamato didn't like the way it ominously bubbled). 'Gosh Yamato, no need to be so mean! Look we have another rice cooker on so no need to get your panties in a twist.'

The sniffing then continued until Yamato felt positively guilty, sure he was particular about his food but that didn't give him the right to mock other's tastes (no matter how…psychedelic…they may be). It was best to extend an olive branch of peace, he was spending several more hours with her and Sora would be very upset with him if she found out he snapped at Mimi. Apologising to her was therefore in his best interests.

'Hey Meems , I shouldn't have snapped like that…I'm sorry, let's just start over and work on our own dishes.' He had obviously said the right thing because he received a smile and a nod from his friend as short while later.

The two then proceeded to work in companionable silence… until Mimi suddenly started belting out the lyrics to 'I wish' at full volume (and somewhat off key). Yamato, who had been completely focused on getting his sauce to the right consistency, ended up flinging a good amount of it onto the wall and burning his arm with the rest. 'What the hell Mimi! Some warning would have been nice!' He couldn't help but scream as he shoved his arm under the tap.

'Jeeze…I just thought some singing would be nice. The silence was killing me and I always sing with my Mum when we cook.' Mimi paused briefly before here brown eyes lit up 'Heyyy…you should totally let me sing a few songs with your band!' Her voice then took on a teasing tone 'I bet it would increase your male fan base!'

'Mimi you just caused me to burn my arm and all you can talk about is Knife of Day? Sort your priorities out woman! Also, who do you think you are Ai Maeda?' Yamato was practically fuming now (Huh…this is probably how Jou felt most of the time. Playing the straight man wasn't fun.)

A somewhat manic grin crossed Mimi's face at his remark 'Silly Yamato! I don't think I'm AiM, I AM her…well I used to be until Tri started. If we're going by that logic I might as well ask if you think you're Hosoya Yoshimasa whenever you sing.'

It was now Yamato's turn to be confused (and he was even more annoyed) 'um… what just happened….Mimi did you just break the third wall? What the hell…we're not meta enough for this shit and why are you bringing our voice actors into this! And most importantly...you ruined my sauce!' (He was just very passionate about cooking okay!)

'You started it Yamato! And you're a grown seventeen year old man! Stop crying over the sauce, you're making such a big deal over it you'd think you mother just died. What are you gonna do about it huh? Try use alchemy to resurrect it from the dead? If that's the case I'd better warn Takeru that his body's gonna end up in a suit of armour! Gosh, you're so short tempered…no wonder you always fight with Taichi. I'm surprised your siblings put up with you two!' She then tossed her hair over her shoulder and vigorously started copping up radishes and pineapples to add to her cake batter.

'Are you serious? I spent ages on that sauce…now I have to start it over! And who did you just call so tiny he could….wait wrong anime. Urrgh! Look what you've done now….You've marred my arm and made me mix up my voice actors! I hope you're happy!' (He felt like stamping his foot…now he definitely knew how Jou felt two chapters ago). Then (in a complete 180' from his previous attitude) Yamato averted his eyes from Mimi's a tinge of red on his cheeks and muttered 'Takeru puts up with me because he loves me the most okay…'

Much like two chapters ago, Mimi heard Yamato's practically whispered statement and then proceeded to mercilessly tease him for it. 'Did I just hear that right…? You're as much a brother-lover as Taichi is a sister-lover!'

'Shut up…I'm nothing like that baka. Mine and Takeru's relationship is wayyy more healthier than Taichi and Hikari's co-dependency….not like I care what you think about my relationship with my brother or anything.' (He was desperately trying to regain his cool now)

Mimi was in hysterics 'tsundara! tsundara!' she exclaimed in glee, cake batter sailing everywhere and smacking Yamato in the eye.

Yamato was so angry at that point that the cake batter on his face practically started baking. 'That's not even Japanese! Why are you like this? Why did you decide to torment me? You were one of the saner ones in 'Backpacks'! '

Mimi had stopped laughing now, should couldn't help but observe her friend as she wiped tears from her eyes. Poor Yamato looked a right mess, his face almost as red as the burn on his arm, his hair and face dripping with cake batter (including its contents) and his shirt stained with his prized sauce. She almost felt sorry for him…..

'Alright I'll stop now…and don't blame me! Blame the authoress who is trying to shamelessly rip-off Gintama!'

'I know right…you'd think she would try something new considering she did that two chapters ago…'

'Exactly… I'm not as much of an airheaded spaz as the English dub presents me to be! Our characters deserve much better treatment than this!'

It was at this point said authoress decided to end her story before the characters mutinied against her (and because she couldn't think of anything better).

Additional notes:

Ai Maeda/AiM: Mimi's original Japanese VA, She's sung 'I wish' in both tri and adventure as well as 'Keep on.'

Hosoya Yoshimasa: Yamato's Japanese VA for 'Tri', he's also a singer and sings the ending song for Confession (boku ni totte/for me).

Vic Mignogna: Matt's English VA for tri... who coincidentally plays another blond big brother, who is very protective of his equally blond (for the most part) little brother.

The third wall: This might confuse some views because the phrase most people are used to hearing is the 4th wall. Its actually more to do with a medium thing...4th wall technically applies to 3D works. So really with things like 2D animation and written works the correct term is the 3rd wall (but the 4th is more generally used particularly for 2D works).


	4. Devotion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Hey! I finally have a new chapter up...the idea for this just sprung into my head and I had to write it. Personally I find Hiroaki and Natsuko the most interesting of the parents and wanted to explore their pasts and how they would deal with the digimon more.
> 
> Inspired by the scene in Reunion where Yamato says he'll talk to his dad about the media's coverage of the digimon.
> 
> Please review and let me know your thoughts!

Devotion

He couldn't help but feel a little awkward…. Hiroaki Ishida honestly hadn't expected to bump into her on his way home.

'Ahh… Natsuko, your running home a little late aren't you?' he said trying to be as civil as he could despite the awkward atmosphere.

His ex-wife gave him a weak smile but her retort held a sarcastic edge 'and I'm surprised to find you leaving work early…'

Natsuko and Takeru had moved into a new apartment closer to his and Yamato's around a year ago. Located closer to Odaiba's news district, it was a good distance from Natsuko's new office (she had been promoted to managing editor) and both the district's Middle and High schools. Most importantly it meant their boys lived closer to each other than they had in years and gave both parents the opportunity to spend time with both boys. The downside was that both parents had an increased chance of bumping into each other and while they had been getting along better over the past few years it was mostly for the sake of their boys than a genuine desire to rekindle any sort of relationship. Too many hurtful words and spiteful comments had been said and the damage couldn't quite be undone. Thankfully his penchant for working overtime and her insistence of being home to have dinner with Takeru prevented them from meeting that often.

Hiroaki bit back a retort 'I was let off work early today, it's in celebration of the recent breakthrough we had regarding the… you know what just check out news at 10 tomorrow.' He ended it with a terrible attempt at a suave wink (he blamed that action on the giddiness only a job well done could bring).

He couldn't help but notice how the amused smirk that crossed her lips was so similar to Yamato's and the twinkle in her eyes was akin to Takeru's. 'Well I wouldn't want to be spoiled now would I? Also if you were wondering why I'm running late its because Takeru is staying with Yamato after that dinner they're hosting at your place. It seemed like a good opportunity to get some extra work done!'

'Well that explains things! I almost forgot about that little gathering, Yamato mentioned that the Tachikawa girl was giving him a hand.'

'If she's anything like her parents that won't end well.'

He chuckled… He remembered being invited to the Tachikawa's way back when they all lived in Hikarigaoka. They were a friendly, if eccentric, couple and it showed in their food combinations. It was a night he couldn't really forget but something he knew was his son's particular version of hell.

'No need for me to rush home then…' His face then turned serious 'Care to join me? I think there's something we need to discuss…Yamato has been quite concerned over it.'

His former wife nodded understanding his meaning 'I agree, I've been wanting to bring this up with you since that first Digimon appeared and now is as good a time as any.'

The two of them then heading towards a nearby coffee shop, unaware of the eyes following them from a black jeep parked nearby…

A sad sense of nostalgia hit Hiroaki as they collected their orders and sat down. He pushed back the memory of the two of them as newlyweds, happily relaxing together after a hard day of work. Now 18 years later the silence that surrounded the two as they scrambled for their thoughts was the best they had gotten along in a while. At least outside of the presence of their sons (his mind flashes back to recent gatherings during special events and holidays, where bright and bubbly Takeru tried his best to ensure everyone smiled and got along and Yamato's silence and reprimanding looks promised swift retribution against anyone who dared to do anything to even dampen his brother's spirits) the last time they had was six years ago, when they held hands and stared up at the other world which had whisked away their children.

Natsuko on the other hand was feeling none of his wistfulness, she was straight to business as soon as she placed her mug back on its saucer. 'Any suggestions on what we could do about the Digimon… the station has been buzzing over the 'monster attacks,' what happened three years ago isn't completely forgotten….'

He had to interrupt her there 'indeed but…to play devil's advocate here… the concerns are valid. I adore Gabumon and know that he's a genuinely gentle creature but your average citizen won't have that intimate knowledge…and regardless of that when a rouge Digimon comes in our kids partners have to fight and contain it and property damage will result.'

Her blue eyes sharpened, 'I understand that Hiroaki and your absolutely right, Patamon may curl up in my lap so I won't be lonely on the nights I stay up working but I won't ever deny the damage he's capable of causing. The problem here is that the media are needlessly fear mongering and when I remember how the children's Digimon gave their all to save us… I just think we need to get a more balanced picture out there. Remind people of this fact and encourage people to think as rationally as possible.'

'Agreed but that's a tall order to fill… We could start small for example, go for images people feel are safe…like Angemon and Angewomon. Christianity may not exactly be the majority religion here in Japan but these are images people associate with things inherently good. However, the sceptic in me, regardless of what Yamato says, knows there is only so much we can do. Especially in light of so much property damage, people have been injured and I can't help but worry for the boys…'

'At the end of the day all we can do is our best to present a balanced view point, the incident at Pallet town is a good start. Luckily I'm the managing editor and you're team of journalists is incredibly respected so we might be able to pull some strings. But like you said we can only do so much without compromising our professionalism completely…we still have to put food on the table after all! Furthermore at the end of the day the Digimon are not our top priority…'

Their eyes locked in shared understanding '…the boys are.'

Natsuko nodded 'We need to keep them out of it… There are laws protecting minors against media scrutiny but there are loopholes. For example, their names can't be revealed but that doesn't mean they can't appear 'coincidentally' on film…'

'It also doesn't help that the Kido boy is now 18…'

The two journalists had been so caught up in their conversation that they didn't notice the two figures approaching their table.

It was the man that spoke first an apologetic grin on his face 'Sorry to disturb you but we may be able to help you with that!'

Both the tables occupants were understandably startled, Hiroki even managing to spill some of his coffee on his shirt. He took a moment to study the two suited newcomers, there was something familiar about the tall dark haired man who grinned goofily and passed him a ridiculously long business card (He quickly noted the name 'Nishijima Daigo' on top and made a mental note to ask Yamato about it later). However, it was the women by his side that caught Hiroki's attention. A petite woman with a brown bob and green eyes as sharp as knives, her aura positively radiated intimidation and confidence, it was clear she was the one in charge.

'May we have a seat?' asked the woman, her voice crisp and professional. Luckily the two of them had chosen a secluded spot in a modestly crowded coffee shop… any conversation was likely to be drowned out by the chatter surrounding them and to an outsider they simply looked like colleagues relaxing after a day of work.

Natsuko and Hiroaki gave brief nods of acceptance (the business cards handed to then indicated the newcomers worked for the government… accepting would be the smart thing).

After the two had seated themselves it was the woman who spoke. 'I'm Himekawa Maki and this is my assistant Nishijima Daigo. We work for a branch of the government that specialises in dealing with any Digimon related incidents and we've been doing so for the past six years. With the information we've received from a digital entity; who's name I'm sure your familiar with...Gennai… your children as well as the eleven others who possess digital partners have come under our protection…'

Natsuko, being the protective mother that she was, decided to interrupt 'what do you mean by that exactly? Have you been monitoring them?'

Maki didn't even blink as she replied 'Yes but it's only done in the interests of checking their welfare… I know that's not something you as a parent wants to hear but these are special children… their connection with the digital world means its in everyone's interests that they are protected.'

Her companion chose now to chime in 'exactly, we genuinely care and will guarantee their well being. That's why we're here… we want to keep them as out of the spotlight and calm down the media storm over the monster attacks as much as you do!'

'And why should we trust you? Especially with those children! They're not soldiers in your wars and are they even aware of you?' The only thing keeping Hiroaki in check was his professionalism but the idea of the government keeping tabs on Takeru and Yamato in particular was striking a nerve (and it didn't seem the agency was doing all that good a job if they needed children to fight their wars).

'Because we want the same thing, the agency has no intention of using the children and we're doing all we can to keep them safe and out of harm's way. We have alerted them to our presence and they come to us for our help when required…. What I simply want to discuss is collaboration on the media front to keep them and the instances with the Digimon out of the public eye. We just need to too work along the lines you were planning to do and in return we can all better ensure the children and their Digimon are out of the public gaze and we're even willing to compensate you for your time.'

'Surely there's something else?' Natsuko replied sarcastically.

'We'll of course be monitoring your content but that would mean its more likely to be published. Remember we don't want to cause mass panic either.' The woman then paused to given then a moment to digest that information before continuing. 'We shall give you some time to mull this over, Daigo will hand you the required information and you can go home and discuss this with your children and the others if you wish. Remember you're free to say no.'

Nishijima then handed then the documents, including both his and Himekawa contact details. 'Remember not to tell anyone outside the kids about this.' He said with a friendly smile 'We hope to hear from you soon!'

And then they were gone leaving the bewildered couple behind to flip through the documents. A few tense moments later Hiroki turned to his ex-wife.

'I don't know about you but I could use a drink.'

'Yes please!'

A few hours later found the both of them in a cosy bar not too far from the café. After ordering a beer for himself and a cinnamon spiced tea for her the two had discussed the meeting in more detail. Both agreed that they needed to discuss it with all the Digidestined first, that there were advantages to it but they were not fully comfortable with both the monitoring of their children and their work being scrutinised (perhaps they should invite the other parents to that discussion) but most importantly that they didn't quite trust Himekawa (they sensed that she genuinely wanted to keep the kids out of the spotlight but unlike Nishijima, her reasons didn't seem to be as much about the children's 'wellbeing' as it was for her own ambitions).

With the resolution to sleep on it and gather as much information as they could before doing anything, talk turned to lighter subjects. They both blamed the warm buzz of alcohol.

Hiroaki couldn't help but remember the day they both met; he had been walking back from some sports practice or the other when he had heard soft piano music. He'd followed it only to come across the exotic French student on his course (He'd lived in the countryside his whole life and had never seen someone who looked like her before). They started talking and had seemingly clicked off the bat, he learned that she was fully French but possessed a Japanese surname because her father had been adopted at a young age by an eccentric Japanese business man with a start-up company in Paris and her father had kept the surname as a means to honour the man who had given him everything. She had been named Natsuko (but went by Nat during school because no one could pronounce it) because summer was her grandfather's favourite season, she had three older brothers (who worked with her dad to grow her grandfather's company and were well on their way to producing a blond haired/blue eyed legion of daughters) and she had fallen in love with Japan from a very young age. In turn he told her more about himself than he had to anyone else; He had grown up with a single mother in the Japanese countryside after his father (a drunkard and a gambler) left them, leaving behind nothing but debts for his poor mother and stealing a priceless heirloom of hers, his mother worked her hardest to support him which ended up in her coming home late at night but they always spent weekends together and he always knew he was loved. Several years after his father left he discovered he had a half-sister after she and her mother knocked on their door to return the stolen family heirloom. It turned out his Father had subjected them to the same treatment and strangely enough both older women became fast friends. Converting the dilapidated family home into a modest B&B….eventually earning enough money to pay for his living fees (Hiroaki had gained a sports scholarship). The rest as they say was history….

Back in the present he offered to walk her home, their spirits higher than they were earlier from the buzz of alcohol. It was a recipe for disaster and Hiroaki knew it, the problem was the more rational part of his brain was drowned out at the moment. Hints of French accent slipped in whenever Natsuko was tipsy or emotional (and he always found it oh so sexy concerning the former) and he started to remember why he loved her.

Before he knew it they had reached her front door and they were kissing, the past few hours had been stressful and they just needed an escape from the stress and the worry about their children.

Surely nothing good could come off this…notwithstanding the last time something similar had happened they ended up conceiving Takeru (It had been a rough period…when they first started fighting… nights were spent with him on the couch with little Yamato choosing to curl up next to him every other night… eventually culminating in an angry bout of make-up sex between the couple and a baby nine months later…not that they would ever tell Takeru. He was a blessing in disguise for both of them but especially for Yamato).

The two eventually broke the kiss, stepped back to get a good look at each other and sobered up.

'We can't do this Hiroaki, not to ourselves and especially not to the boys.'

'Your right, I'm sorry…'

She was right… They foundations of their relationship had become so weathered and cracked over the years that not even the bright ray of sunshine that was their youngest or the cooling, grounding presence of their oldest could fix it. They were poisonous to each other and separating the children was the most selfish thing they had ever done. Some things were best left alone, especially for the sake of their boys.

'Goodnight then Hiroaki…. Give the boys a hug goodnight for me' and with that Natsuko disappeared behind her door and he knew deep down he didn't want to follow her.

A thirty minute walk later he was finally home, only to be greeted by his sons as he entered the apartment.

'Hey dad! I can't believe you and mum work on Saturdays…Did you have a good day anyways?' Takeru had bounded up to him, Patamon asleep on his head and looking way too cheerful for someone awake past two in the morning.

'It was alright… speaking of your mother, I bumped into her ealier and we had a discussion about what we could do to help with the Digimon. I'll tell you more about this later and you are rather cheerful aren't you? Shouldn't you be getting to bed?'

'Dadddd….'

'Ignore him…' Yamato had walked in from the kitchen now, with what suspiciously looked like a bandage wrapped around his arm. He then smirked dangerously much like his mother had done hours earlier 'He's been annoyingly happy since Hikari gave him a kiss on the cheek earlier this evening and he's had too much sugar.'

'You're just jealous I got kisses and hugs from all of the girls and you got none…'

'Really? Cause you only blushed for Hikari!'

'Shouldn't you be picking a fight with Taichi now nii-san?'

Yamato then proceeded to pull his brother into a headlock (displacing Patamon in the process) and Takeru attempted to wriggle out of it and shove his opponents face into some unidentified gloop on the floor.

Hiroaki couldn't help but smile at the picture, even after all these years his boys were close and it made him feel like he was at least doing something right.

'All right boys break it up and go to bed.'

Yamato let go of Takeru, who bid his father goodnight and wondered into his brother's bedroom muttering something in French.

Yamato however chose to linger and examined his father for a few minutes… 'Everything go okay when you talked to mum?' Hiroaki quickly wiped his lips, earning a suspicious look from his oldest.

'Everything is fine… I'll tell you in the morning… and Yamato. No matter how things are between your mother and me... you boys are always our first priority.'

Hiroaki Ishida might not have been the most present of fathers. He grew up without one and didn't really know how to parent but he nevertheless loved his sons and never regretted meeting Natsuko because it meant he had them in his life.

So what he had just said to Yamato…He meant every word of it and it was one of the few topics him and Natsuko always agreed on.


	5. Observer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: This story took a little longer to write than others. I had a bit of writers block concerning it but it was a chapter I wanted to write. I thought it would be interesting to try write how the chosen appear to an outside..and who better than Meiko?
> 
> I actually don't mind Meiko, I don't think she's a terrible character and I can identify with her shy nature (me before I started uni). I understand why people wouldn't like her and its a difficult job for the tri writers to include a new character (though people seem to like Maki and Daigo) and establish her dynamic amongst a group of 8 well established characters. I think they do a good job, her reactions are human and understandable and she's not overplayed at all. Nevertheless I'm not a huge fan cause I absolutely love the original 8 and want to see as much of them as possible. I actually kinnda controversially prefer her over the 02 kids (who themselves received similar disparaging criticisms when 02 came out... the 01 kids are a difficult act to follow/top).
> 
> Please leave reviews and let me know which chapter has been your favourite so far! What do you think about my take on Meiko (I find quite people can often be quite witty and observant when they come out of their shells!)
> 
> The game Taichi and Yamato play here is an actual game...I picture it as Tekken 4 which came out in 2004 and the characters mentioned are legitimate characters. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon!

Observer

To call them a ragtag bunch of misfits would be an understatement (not that they actually were misfits…they were all quite nice actually and aghhh...she was getting ahead of herself).

Alright, some context was needed…she, Mochizuki Meiko, was currently perched awkwardly on a chair by Ishida Yamato's dining table. And she, shy country mouse extraordinaire, was currently surrounded by the most… varied…group of individuals she had ever met in her life. To be honest she was feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment (hence why she had retreated to the safety of the table, away from where the others were currently engaged in a video game…she was sure Mimi would eventually drag her back into the fray anyways), she hadn't had many friends in Tottori owing in large part to her social awkwardness and the fact that she promised Otosan she would keep Meicoomon a secret (she couldn't exactly pass her partner off as a house cat). What little friends she did have of course were again due to the fact Tottori was a small place and you were bound to make some friends from the people you saw every day. But then again, she supposed that logic sort of applied to the group gathered before her, except instead of a small rural population they were the only humans in a world of digital beings constantly trying to kill them. Where what sounded like an extremely decrepit Obi-Wan Kenobi and Aslan with a six pack (she may be borrowing a bit from some of the others descriptions, she didn't think she could be so clever with word play) basically told them 'FYI this world will hold you hostage until you save it.' So really in the face of such adversity with little but each other, the clothes on their backs and their newly gained partners (or what seemed like personal stalkers at first….Taichi's words), it made the utmost sense that so many different (and seemingly clashing) personalities worked so well as a team. Meiko didn't think it would be too far off to say that a lot of them wouldn't be friends if they didn't go through the experiences they did six years ago.

Nevertheless, for a shrinking violet such as herself, she was still overwhelmed by all of them. She couldn't believe such a vibrant group of people had welcomed her into their group so easily. This was why she was taking a moment to sit back and assess each of them individually. Ultimately trying to make sense of the puzzle that was the Digidestined (interesting name, she wondered if they chose it or if that was the official term some prophesy used…there was always some prophesy or the other in adventure stories).

Yagami Taichi was the leader. At first he seemed like one of those affable leader types, the kind that tends to show up in shonen anime (along the lines of Naruto or Monkey D Luffy). He was one of the more charismatic, energetic and louder members of the team (the latter two being showcased as he hollered and shouted profanities while viciously mashing the buttons of his controller). His partner Agumon was beside him and the little orange Digimon was just as loud an enthusiastic as his partner. He was also the biggest eater of the Digimon, shovelling pieces of Mimi's cake into his maw between encouraging words to his partner.

Meiko honestly wasn't all that sure what to make of Taichi off the bat; she had seen him during football practice, where he proved himself to be a passionate and driven leader. She understood these were among the qualities that made the others choose to follow him but the Taichi she had seen at Pallet town was rather different. He seemed hesitant and unsure, like a man who had just had the foundations of his beliefs shaken and didn't know what to do.

In fact the person that had appeared more driven and daring when she first met him was Yamato. Who had pushed her out of the way of Alphamon's blast and then seemingly convinced Taichi to fight. The picture she built up over the next few weeks of knowing him however was a bit different. Honestly, she found Yamato a little intimidating; as his partner Gabumon (and his evolved forms) suggested he seemed to be a bit of a lone wolf and the person the most likely to break of from the group. But he also headed his own band (suggesting he had some hidden depths) and was absolutely wrapped around the fingers (or paws?) of his partner. Yamato was also (and she couldn't help but blush a bit) a class 'A' bishonen…not that the other boys were bad looking… it certainly didn't hurt that Yamato was half French. Gabumon on the other hand had the opposite effect on her; he was a mild mannered and easy going Digimon, who was easy to be around. She found it quite funny how he always seemed to be both fond and exasperated at Yamato's behaviour (mainly concerning Taichi) and Agumon's constant eating.

Speaking of his relationship with Taichi…. It was an 'interesting' one. Akin to those of scorned lovers, the two were apparently good friends but seemed constantly at odds. The only reason they seemed to be getting along without any tension now was because they were passively aggressively taking their frustrations out of each other by playing a fighting game. And it looked like Yamato's frustrations were winning out because his wooden block guy was currently smashing Taichi's Kangaroo with boxing gloves into the wall repeatedly. The LSD trip inducing visuals of the fighting game aside, she figured it was best to try not dwell on their conflict for too long. She'd probably end up with a headache and the other kids (who knew them longer) were keeping well away from it.

The next 'victim' to feel the brunt of Meiko's four-eyed scrutiny was Sora, the group's resident mother-hen. Unlike the previous two, Meiko felt more confident to pass judgement on her (or as much as she could considering she only knew them a few weeks) and Sora was quite frankly lovely. She had been nothing but kind, considerate and welcoming towards Meiko and this was before they found out Meiko was a chosen child. Such behaviour extended towards the rest of the kids gathered around her, she was the ever-suffering mediator between Taichi and Yamato, the darner of ripped jeans and too long dresses and the distributer of sweet baked goods. Sora seemed to have just adopted the group and in return they seemed to hold her in high regard. It made her partner, an energetic pink bird Digimon, a good representation of her mother hen tendencies and Piyomon (right now she was fussing with Sora's hair) in turn absolutely adored her partner.

The next member of the team and the one who appeared the most out of place in the group (from an outsiders perspective at least) was Koushiro. Meiko had to agree with Taichi's description of him as the lovechild of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, Koushiro was scarily intelligent. Especially with computers (wow…that must have put him at almost 'god' level when they were in the Digital world. Good thing he was an ally!). He was right now multitasking between messing around on his laptop, commenting wryly on Taichi and Yamato's performances and looking like an erupting volcano whenever he caught an accidental peek of Mimi's bare legs (Mimi was currently flaunting her legs in that mini skirt!). His partner, Tentomon, was currently buzzing around his head asking Koushiro why he'd turned so red and if he was ill (also criticising him for not eating enough, they had a bit of an old married couple vibe.)

Speaking of Mimi…she was the definition of the world 'diva' and Meiko honestly admired her for it. Meiko had never been all that confident in herself and her emotions, so she really admired the younger girl's bubbliness and sincerity. She was the type of girl that didn't just giggle, she full on laughed, she didn't just skip, and she bounced. Moreover, while Mimi screamed 'daddy's spoilt little princess' from the tops of her sparkly Alice band to the tips of her pink ballet style shoes, she was quite kind and generous. Therefore ultimately, like with Sora, Meiko really hoped they could be good friends. Palmon, Mimi's partner, was considerably more mild mannered in comparison. Meiko couldn't help but imagine that if Mimi was a colourful (for some reason she imagined bright pink) balloon dancing in the air, then Palmon would be the string tethering her to earth.

Mimi also had a very interesting dynamic with Jou, the oldest of the Digidestined. They were a classic case of opposites attract, albeit a more platonic example. Jou seemed to bend to her will easily but at the same time encouraged her. The two seemed to mutually respect each other above their respective peers and enjoyed each other's company (Meiko was interested in the story behind that one).

Jou, well there wasn't much to say about him, this was one of the first times she'd met him. She understood that he was in his final year of school and trying to study medicine, so it made sense she hadn't seen much of him until this point (she would be studying like crazy too). The only reason he had come today was because his older brothers had dragged him to the event, stating he deserved a break and they would pick him up at eleven. The poor boy looked like he could use one, he seemed stressed, a little high strung and nervous. The others however had nothing but praise for him and she was impressed by how the aspiring doctor had immediately treated Yamato's burnt arm (the musician was rather evasive as to how that happened). In fact if this night told her anything about Jou, it was that he was the group's dorky dad… from his treatment of injuries, to his encouragement of them to eat healthy food and his formally introducing himself to her.

Much akin to his relationship with Mimi, Jou had a hilarious odd-couple dynamic with his partner Gomamon. The two had constantly made quips to each other until Jou had somewhat relaxed and eventually fallen asleep on one of Yamato's armchairs. The little seal was now currently using some of Mimi's left over cake batter (and dripping it on the floor) to glue a moustache of feathers to Jou's face and chatting with Meicoomon and Palmon about how humans kept elongating instead of evolving.

Meiko's scan around the room then finally landed on Takeru and Hikari. The baby brother and sister of the group respectively, the others definitely showed signs of being both rather fond and protective of them. Meiko couldn't blame them too much of course… both of them were rather adorable, to the point Meiko contemplated wrapping them up in blankets like sushi rolls and hiding them away from the harsh realities of the world (despite the fact she was probably a lot more sheltered then they were). The two, who visibly appeared to have the closet friendship of the group, were as usual together. Takeru sprawled on his back, legs thrown over the arm of the sofa and head resting close to Hikari's hip. The boy had Hikari's partner, Tailmon, curled up on his stomach and he was scratching her behind the ear with one hand while the other gestured erratically as he engaged in what looked like a heated debate with his best friend (they were probably gently snarking each other again). Patamon in the mean while rested comfortably on Hikari's head, while the girl in question relaxed against the sofa's other arm. Her pose was more dignified than her companions as she sat with one arm resting in her lap and the other propped against the back of the sofa supporting her head. She was looking down at Takeru, lips quirked in a rare smirk and eyes shining with a bemused fondness. The picture they formed was a rather intimate one and Meiko wondered if they were secretly dating (though she sometimes wondered that about Yamato and Taichi too).

Despite mostly viewing (and thinking) of the two of them as a unit (hmm…maybe she should decide on a collective term to use for them…) Meiko did think that they, like their older peers, were quite interesting individuals too. Take Takeru for example…did she mention he was adorable? He was the most approachable and friendly of the boys, was the keenest to let her know about some of the early adventures the team had gone through (he was quite the story teller) and introduced her to his blog (where she could contact Digidestined from around the world). While the youngest member of the group had some time to go before he reached Yamato's level of bishonen-ness…his blue eyes sparkled with mischievousness and warmth which made her understand why younger girls would consider him attractive. His partner Patamon was literally a flying pig (though he would deny being a pig) and the most child-like of the Digimon (he looked very squishable too!).

Hikari on the other hand was probably the most reserved member of the group. Meiko of course found her very sweet but she was probably the most difficult member of the team of read. She found that there was something quite delicate and almost ethereal about the otherwise normal middle schooler. Hikari was a little intimidating to be honest but in a very different way to Yamato, she was certainly more approachable than the blond but one couldn't help but feel a little distant from her. Though, Meiko contemplated as she watched Hikari laugh at some joke or the other Takeru had cracked, maybe Hikari just took a while to warm up to others (Meiko couldn't blame her for that… dealing with people could be hard). Meiko still quite liked her nonetheless; the girl had some sass in her, was clearly the apple of her brother's eye and obviously adored him to bits in return. Her partner Tailmon was the most dignified and wisest of the Digimon, the former of which she radiated even now as she curled up and purred on Takeru's belly.

And that was the enigmatic group known as the Digidestined….

Honestly, taken together they reminded her of a Jackson Pollock painting. Seemingly random splatters of paint, each a different unique colour and haphazardly splattered on the canvas. It seemed random, eye-catching but strangely enough it worked to create something pretty amazing. There most definitely was a method to the madness that was the Digidestined. But as Sora's voice calling out to her suddenly cut through the noise of the living room and Mimi's hand was on her wrist dragging her towards the others (apparently it was her turn to play the game), Meiko couldn't help but wonder where she fit in in a group as well established as theirs.


	6. Drifting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: I know I said I would avoid speculating...well I couldn't help myself. I'll admit I don't care much about the 02 kids and I'm perfectly fine with them not coming up in the story so far (though their clearly an important story element mentioned at least once per movie. Its clearly a mystery their trying to build up... we as the audience know they are missing, the original kids are alerted to something going on when the digimon emperor shows up. Takeru and Hikari search for Ken and try contact the other 02 kids but get no answers but any questions they do have is pushed aside as they deal with infected patamon/possesions and Yamato asks the agency what they know, Maki lies to him and Daigo angrily yells at her for covering it up...see their actually mentioned quite a bit..its just their not the primary focus of the plot yet). What I will admit the staff could be doing better in giving us a reason why the 01 and 02 kids seem disconnected to the point the former dont try contact the latter when the infected digimon first appear. I'm sure some throw away lines would be better and I subscribe to the theory that both groups just probably drifted apart. We've seen it happen with the original kids so its more likely to happen with the second group (02 was a lot less dark than adventure was). Course if this is the case remains to be seen, I have faith the tri staff are gonna pull it off!
> 
> on another note this story has hints of Takari based on the interviews with the director of tri, whats been established in the movies (Kokuhaku was very good for my shipper heart) and Hikari's image song 'reflection.'
> 
> I also have a brief reference to Sokka in avatar the last airbender...Kudos to those who get it and those who identified the fighting game Yamato and Taichi were playing in the last chapter.
> 
> As always please review and let me know what you think. Also a big thanks to all those that have Favorited, followed and commented on my story!
> 
> The time line for this story is set just before Reunion.  
> Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon!

Drifting

'Do you think friendships, if stretched far enough, can become misshapen or snap like an elastic band?'

She was met with the sight of raised eyebrows and blue eyes peering at her over the top of a book, the words 'The complete collection of Sherlock Homes' printed boldly on the cover.

'Hikari are you equating friendships to our physics homework?'

'Sort of…I was just wondering if friendships can have an elastic limit…like rubber bands…' The girl then paused to digest her own words, ignoring the inquisitive look her friend was giving her. 'You know what forget it! I'm just being silly.'

She quickly buried her flushed face in her friend's copy of 'The Golden Compass' and sunk as far down as she could into her bean bag. She knew Takeru wouldn't press the issue… immediately that was (Taichi equated her to a startled deer when she got like this…it was best to proceed with caution). Silence reigned for about ten minutes before she felt his gaze on her again… She regretted coming over to his place to do homework, she regretted agreeing to chill and read books after they were done and she most definitely regretted bringing up the subject at all. He was her best friend…and he kinnda had lingering abandonment issues…so she really shouldn't bother him with her 'musings' right now.

Not that Takeru cared, she could practically feel the concern radiating of him and the fact he was about to speak. Well…let it not be said that Yagami Hikari was inconsiderate! She might as well save him the trouble… she therefore spun round (and nearly fell off) her bean bag to meet her friend's pretty eyes (not that she'd ever admit that). Takeru gave her a guilty look and a nervous chuckle as he realized he'd been caught.

'Don't try and play detective Takeru-Kun, you already look ridiculous enough' she fired as she observed he had decided to wear the iconic deerstalker hat, while balancing his book on one hand and a pipe in the other (It blew bubbles and the whole assemble before her was a present he received from both their brothers a month ago for his birthday).

A mischievous grin adorned his face 'Aww Hikari-chan….I thought you found it charming! Ladies love a man of mystery! How mean of you, must you break a young boy's heart so callously!'

'Yes'

'Ouch'

The two friends chuckled for a moment and Hikari took the opportunity to swipe the pipe (pardon the rhyming) and popped it in her mouth with a smirk 'Well then call me Moriaty my good fellow! And may I say… your attempts at sophistication would probably succeed spectacularly…in repelling any and all females!' She started to blow bubbles at Takeru's face and her friend giggled and pretended to sniffle.

'Indeed, you're the right Napoleon of crime…that being the crime of hurting my feelings! Also are you implying you're not female? '

'Go cry to Watson then! And…shutup! Don't be jealous of my obvious masculinity!'

The two friends chuckled and joked together for a little longer before Takeru's face turned serious. 'So…Hikari, are you going to explain why you brought up elastic limits?' He then searched her face for a moment 'You're thinking about the other kids aren't you?'

The mood turned sombre as Hikari lent back in her chair and covered her face with her book with a groan. 'Yeah' she said in a small voice.

She could hear Takeru drumming his fingers on the cover of his book 'Hikari…they're not gone or anything… we just don't see them all that much anymore.'

Hikari knew she was being a little dramatic, it was just that since their adventures with the second group of Digidestined ended, everybody had drifted away from each other. She wasn't a huge fan of that and if it was anyone other than Takeru she wouldn't have voiced the thought in fear of sounding whiny.

'But everybody didn't drift so quickly and so far apart after our first adventures.' Even with Takeru across the river and Mimi moving to America the group still called, met up and emailed each other as regularly as they could.

Takeru contemplated her words for a moment 'Well and not to invalidate our second set of adventures and bond with the others…. It was different the first time, it was just 8 kids and their Digimon with little else… we went through a lot of harsh stuff together and as a result we're a family. And even with all that we don't see all that much of the older kids anymore. So as much as I don't like it…it's boiling down to the fact everyone is older and sometimes people drift.'

He was right sadly, even she couldn't deny the fact things felt…safer the second time around. Not that it was easy but they had experience, access to medicine, supplies and the support of the older kids. All factors they didn't have the first time (she pushed down the memories of feeling deathly ill and nights spent on the hard ground, huddled together for warmth.)

She sighed 'True but we still went through so much with Iori, Miyako, Daisuke and Ken. I just thought the bonds we shared with them would…be stronger…I donno… we just barely hear from them anymore. I'm worried about losing them or our relationships changing too much'

'We are pretty busy ourselves and can't keep in touch as much as we would like too. I'm sure it's the same for them…plus relationships change anyways.' He diverted his eyes away from her to stare intently at the page in front of him 'I don't like it either and I really miss them too but it happens…even with families.'

Hikari almost flew out of her chair at that 'I'm so sorry Takeru-kun! I shouldn't have brought this up at all… I know I'm being really unfair and spiteful!'

His face turned red 'Nonono…You didn't bring it up I did! Just ignore what I just said!' he then let out a nervous chuckle as he scratched the back of his head 'plus you need to look up the definition of spiteful because you most certainly are not it…and even spite isn't always bad thing! I mean C.S. Lewis included the lamp in the 'Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' because Tolkien said a lamppost didn't have a place in a fantasy novel.'

The smile he gave her following that statement was a small cheeky one and she appreciated his effort to lighten the mood.

'I know it's just such a shame… I'm happy for everyone but I just miss them.'

Hikari didn't make close friends very easily. She was a friendly and sweet girl who most people tended to like but she was also a very reserved person who found it difficult to truly open up to people (mostly in fear of bothering them). She spent a lot of time in her own head and only a very few really got a chance to break down her barriers. The main example being the boy sat next to her and the other Digidestined. So as the group got older and drifted apart, wrapped up in their own lives, she found she missed their company deeply. She was therefore extremely grateful she still had Takeru, who had been with her for both adventures, by her side.

The last few years had been a busy period for the younger group; it had started with Daisuke's family moving to Tamachi due to his father's work. While Daisuke had initially been thrilled to move closer to and attend the same school as Ken (his best friend and not-so-secret crush at the time) he had also been rather upset at moving away from everybody else. The move however proved to be the start of a turbulent time for Daisuke, as he came to terms with his sexuality and worries about how others would accept him (they all did, even traditional Iori…he was still Daisuke and who he was interested in didn't change that fact), Daisuke even managed to confess his feelings to Ken and the two started dating but much to everyone's surprise ended it amicably on the pretence they worked better as friends. The rest of the Digidestined didn't hear much from either of them for a while after the ordeal but did recently learn that Daisuke had started spending more time with his new boyfriend playing online RPG games. While Ken became more involved in engaging with community work, his studies and football.

Iori's family eventually moved out to the country on account of the Doctor's recommending his grandfather might benefit from its 'fresher/less polluted air.' The family was now located in a more suburban area and Iori occasionally messaged to let them know how much he enjoyed the open fields, close country community and that his grandfather was doing well.

Miyako unlike the others had not moved away but managed to gain a place in Jou's old prep school (it was a rather prestigious one). She was currently on a student exchange program in Europe, wherein she had reunited with one of the international Digidestined (Yuri). The differences in time zones and her busy schedule making it hard for her to keep in touch as much as she wanted.

As for Takeru and Hikari; both had found themselves increasingly busy with school work and extracurricular activities. Them not being in the same class also meant that sometimes it could be a struggle for the two of them to meet up. Not that they let it stop them from meeting up as often as they could, even if it meant walking home together or just texting. Though one would suppose when you spent time running away from a killer clown turning people you love into key chains or crossing dimensions into a world of darkness to help each other out, it would be quite hard to let something a small as not being in the same class impede your ability to spend some time together.

This is why it puzzled and saddened Hikari that everyone had drifted so far apart so fast. Hadn't they saved two worlds together? Should she be doing more to maintain a connection? It was so easy with Takeru and Taichi…surely she was doing something wrong?

She was interrupted from her thoughts by Takeru 'Hikari….for what it's worth I don't think some friendships have an elastic limit. I think that even though some of us may drift apart, when we come back together…it'll be like nothing has changed. People change but I think as long as the root of what made all our bonds so strong is there, we'll be okay!'

She took a moment to digest his words before smiling back, it was just like him to remain optimistic. 'Thank you.'

'You're welcome'

'Hey Sherlock…lets promise each other that we're gonna try our best to remain best friends okay!' She felt childish as she said so but could help but feel a thrill of happiness race through her when Takeru grinned and offered her his pinkie finger.

'Well that Moriaty is a promise… so long as we both don't end up pushing each other off a waterfall.'

She hooked her pinkie with in his 'that can be our version of till death do we part…though we'd probably get caught by Magnagemon again.'

'Yep falling from great heights is something we're more familiar with than we should be.'

He broke his gaze with her (and their pinkie lock) when his phone started ringing, signalling for her to excuse his for a moment, he crossed the room chatting to whom she assumed was his mother in French.

She returned to reading her book, ignoring the way her finger tingled from its contact with his. It wasn't long however before she felt his eyes on her again and she looked up to see an almost soft, wistful look in his eyes. She cheeky winked at him in response, causing him to blush and quickly divert his eyes, before he grinned back at her and rolled his eyes.

Something had slightly shifted in their relationship lately; Hikari had recently become aware that her best friend might have feelings for her. How aware Takeru was of this himself she wasn't sure but he seemed to be happy with how things were at the moment. Something she was eternally grateful for because she wasn't really sure how she felt about it (though part of her coping mechanism may involve her teasing him a bit). With other kids in her year or older than her, they described their first loves and crushes as stolen kisses, tumbles out of the watchful eyes of their parents and like a roller-coaster. Hikari wasn't sure that was how thinks were with Takeru, their relationship seemed a bit purer than that, it felt safe and comforting and most importantly natural. They could spend hours together not speaking a word and they had been through so much together.

Honestly right now, with everyone (both on the old and new team) drifting away from each other, to the point where she feared their bonds may snap or become misshapen. She appreciated that she didn't have to worry about that with Takeru and as for how she felt…maybe it was worth taking some time to figure out.


	7. Climax

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Hey guys! Just a warning this chapters content veers into 'M' territory (albeit not particularly explicit) , so if you don't like or are under 16 maybe give it a skip. It's another attempt at a humorous story exploring that time in a teenagers life when they discover porn (I remember the boys in my class gathering around a single desk, giggling perversely like idiots... they even locked the door one time during IT class, which resulted in my teacher bursting into the room. Hands on her hips in a superman pose crying 'who's watching porn!) and those times you discover something so disturbing with friends/cousins that its captivating and hilarious ('shrek is love, shrek is life' comes to mind). I of course have not actually played one of the games mentioned in this story but am aware their exist and have a bizarre sense of humour.
> 
> I hope you enjoy and this makes you laugh (gosh we need it; 2016 is the year of Brexit and Trump after all!). I had a ton of fun writing this and would love to know your thoughts! What would you like to see me write next and what stories have you enjoyed?
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own digimon and I apologise to those who might not consider this chapter their cup of tea!

CLIMAX

The plan was for the Digidestined to meet up at Koushiro's office, there had been a lull in infected Digimon sightings and the team had figured it was best to meet up and discuss their strategies in the event an infected Digimon did show up.

It was currently just Taichi, Yamato and Koushiro on site; the tension between Yamato and Taichi could have been cut with a knife and poor Koushiro was hoping for some sort distraction.

Fate of course decided to provide that distraction as Taichi absentmindedly rifled through a box of Koushiro's stuff (helpfully labelled 'things to discard'). The seventeen year olds eyes widened as he pulled out a rectangular plastic case.

'Well what do we have here?'

Unfortunately for the bearer of knowledge… fate had a twisted sense of humour.

Taichi was obnoxiously sniggering with glee, Yamato was questioningly raising his perfectly sculpted eyebrows, Koushiro (who had realized what the box was and cursing himself for not getting rid of it) was contemplating whether he could launch himself into the sub space he created for the Digimon and the Digimon… were snacking on junk food and couldn't be bothered to deal with their humans at the moment.

The reason; Taichi had just found a video game of the more questionable verity. The boy had collapsed into hysterics, leaving it to the team's lancer to cross the room and confirm that the object was in fact the stuff of Koushiro's nightmares. His deep chuckle akin to a knell to Koushiro's ears,

'Is this a hentai game?'

This caused the younger boy to shriek and launch himself across the room in an attempt to get the game. His efforts however proved futile as Taichi just tossed the disk packet to Yamato who held it over his head (tall bastards) and more or less held Koushiro down by the shoulders, sharing a conspiratorial look with the blond.

'Give it back you Neanderthals….it's not what you think!'

'Then by all means explain Izumi.' Yamato smirked teasingly while Taichi started lamenting on the sorry state of kids these days (what rubbish…they were only a year older than him!).

'Fine, so long as Taichi lets me go!'

The request was quickly complied with and Koushiro sat down heavily in one of the office's arm chairs, placing his red face in his hands (and ignoring the Digimon's curious looks…this might end up being more awkward than the time they explained to them where human babies came from).

'You know how I said I was helping out the firm of an American friend? Well he was over in Japan a few weeks ago and…um… thought the game would be a hilarious farewell gift. God knows where he got it! I've never played it and intended to throw it away but forgot to with all that's been going on lately.'

Yamato still looked amused 'well why you didn't just tell us that instead of attempting to tackle our school's soccer captain?'

'I panicked okay! Having a game like that in your possession isn't very palatable.'

Taichi decided to chime in 'You're a teenage boy…no big deal! Just learn to hide your porn better.'

'I'm sure you'll know all about it' Koushiro shot back sarcastically.

'Of course I do…I have a little sister and an Agumon. Plus I don't have the luxury of living in an all-male household like Yamato…he's probably just been accessing his dad's stash for years.'

On hearing his name Agumon paused with a rice cracker halfway to his mouth 'what about me?'

'It's nothing buddy just human stuff that would give you questionable dreams…'

Yamato in the meanwhile had nearly choked on the Oolong tea he'd been sipping 'Shut up Taichi! It's not like we found your dad's old porn magazines under the family couch last year.'

Sensing another argument brewing and frankly quite tired of dealing with their problems, Koushiro decided to try placate the situation 'Guys please can we leave your fathers out of it!'

'Forgive me for interrupting boys…but what are you talking about?' said Tentomon, the insectoid Digimon had taken to the air and was currently attempting to peak at the games cover.

Luckily the boys were saved by the ever perceptive Gabumon 'Come on Tentomon, I feel it's better for us not to know! Probably one of those wired human things; like how they come from eggs that have to grow inside the bellies of their females…'

Agumon nodded gravely at that 'Seems unnecessarily complicated! What's with babies eating their mum's food? Does that make human's practices? I think it's so rude of them to take someone else's food!' The little dinosaur held his snacks close to his chest protectively, side eyeing the three boys before him suspiciously.

Sensing an opportunity Taichi was quick to butt in 'better listen to Agumon and retreat with your snacks into the computer before we take them from you!'

'But that has nothing to do with what I asked' Tentomon protested.

'Let's just go anyways' said Gabumon, shoving both his friends towards Koushiro's laptop (smart Digimon).

With their partners out of the way for now, the three friends looked at each other before turning away and attempting to muffle their laughter.

Koushiro then decided to speak once he regained his composure 'I forget how strange some facts we take for granted could be to the Digimon.'

'I know right!' Yamato was wiping a tear from his eye. Taichi in the meanwhile was reading over the small card attached to the game.

'Why does this guy call you Izzy?'

'He's American…he probably finds 'Izzy' easier to pronounce,' said Yamato 'It's not uncommon…I mean my French relatives call me Matt…'

'Really? Seems rather random…' Taichi's smile then turned into a smirk 'you'd think they would refer to you as Claude!'

'Shut up Taichi!'

Koushiro piped up at the opportunity not to be the brunt of their teasing 'why Claude?'

'It's his middle name…' (Yamato eye had started twitching at this point).

'Seriously?' (Well you learn something new every day!)

'Yep…apparently Takeru's is 'Jean'. What were your parents thinking Yamato? Was naming you and your brother after 'Yamato Takeru' not enough? Talk about punny names!'

Yamato looked like he was trying to keep his cool now (probably due to the reprimanding looks he was getting from Gabumon) 'oh golly gee….I wonder why my French mother would give her sons, who she intended to raise in Japan, French middle names? How confusingly peculiar! Well what do you think you sentient coconut tree?' The blond then proceed to roll his eyes and flounced to the office window (probably so he could dramatically brood).

The room fell silent again as the other two boys got their laughter under control. However, while Koushiro was wondering what was taking the others so long to get there (only the two youngest had texted to say they would be late but promised to bring snacks as compensation), Taichi had clearly decided getting the better of Yamato alone wasn't enough to fill up his daily annoy-your-friends quota.

'So…' The bushy haired boys eyes glinted dangerously with mirth 'you mentioned you never played this game before…'

Koushiro shot up in his chair (and Yamato perked up near the window) and shot his friend a warning look 'Taichi no!'

But alas he was too late as his friend shot towards his prized computer shouting a gleeful 'Taichi yes!'

Before Koushiro knew it (why didn't he lock his computer…probably the same reason he forgot to throw away the stupid game….gosh he was slipping) Taichi had popped the disk into the drive and opened up the game on the screen, rubbing his hands together in anticipation as it loaded.

Koushiro wanted to crawl under the couch in mortification as the opening music came up and Taichi cracked his knuckles in anticipation.

'Hey look you can design your own character!' Taichi seemed excited before his face turned slightly disappointed 'there's no option to be a female though…. Ohh I have to set out on my quest to 'catch em all!''

'Catch what STDs?' Koushiro was now red-faced and resigned to his fate (who could oppose Taichi when he got like this? Plus he was a teenage boy himself and mildly curious) peered over his friends shoulder 'I'm surprised Pokemon aren't suing them.'

'Pokemon…smokemon… help me create the most ridiculous character possible so he can go forth, be incredibly offensive and charmander some bulbasaurs!' His friend was clicking random options now, his avatar well on the way too looking like some big headed, corgi haired, tiny handed and orange faced lizard man.

Yamato, who had been alternating between pretending to be too mature for the tomfoolery going on in front of him and sneaking peeks at what Taichi was doing snorted in disgust, 'Could you please not ruin my childhood! Plus could you grow up and respect the fact this makes Koushiro uncomfortable…not to mention the fact the others are on their way!'

Taichi opted to ignore him 'sure Yamato…now what do you want to call this dude?'

'Tits McGee.'

'Your both idiots!' Koushiro deadpanned (and face palmed).

And with that, the questionable knight Sir Tits McGee was ready to explore the medieval land of 'Sexualem Frustra' (ahh latin to describe the state of what many of the creators and players were in…how very creative. It sure worked to earn the chuckles of Koushiro's friends when he explained it to them) in search of satisfaction and prancing steeds.

It wasn't long before they came across two characters terribly speaking random French words which didn't match the 'translations' given on screen (this earned a hearty laugh from both Yamato and Koushiro and a confused look from Taichi). They then kindly explained that McGee had somehow come into possession of the great sword 'Fal-lus' and it was his quest to find as many sheaths for his sword as possible, grow in power and overthrow the current establishment (in the worst way possible). It was at this point that Koushiro, despite lamenting that fact that some graphic designers wasted their time coding this nonsense, decided this game was too stupidly hilarious to not see where their 'quest' may take them.

It was then in the middle of McGee's first task of corrupting some nuns and the boys alternated between groaning and laughing at the terrible dialogue and over-use of puns that Jou stepped into the room.

Much like in a character in a horror movie Jou, instead of running away at the obvious impending danger, went to see what was the cause of his friends flushed faces and watery eyes. What he saw was almost enough to give him an aneurism.

'Holy Sukamon….. what the hell are you playing?'

Gomamon on the other hand looked at the screen curiously (ignoring the fact the other boys looked like red faced shellmons who wanted nothing more than to retreat into their shells) before speaking up 'Hey that looks like that stuff I saw your brother and some girl do in your room three years ago Jou.'

'Wait what?' The bearer of reliabilities face had turned green at that point, the poor boy eventually opting to go hyperventilate into a paper bag and Taichi even left his post to pat him consolingly on the back. Gomamon in the meanwhile happily plodded along to join the other Digimon whispering the words 'mischief managed'.

Jou eventually joined the other boys, paper bag clutched firmly in his hands so he could quote 'tisk at them disapprovingly.' (He may also have been too traumatised to have the energy to actually try stopping them) Yamato in the meanwhile had taken up playing the game, receiving a key that he had to find a lock too (Koushiro called the princess's chastity belt) and just like many a teenage boy before him Jou found himself sucked into a game which in disturbed him to the point he found it almost funny.

However, having an aspiring doctor-to-be also meant the other boys had to endure a barrage of commentary about how biologically inaccurate the various acts performed were. In fact it was in the middle of Sir Tits McGee's 'pleasuring' of several virgins he had heroically rescued from being sacrificed to a three-headed man eating goat that the oldest uttered 'that's not how sex works, your dude only cares about his pleasure.'

Which undoubtedly disturbed the other three to the point only Koushiro was able to ask 'how would you know?'

It was then than Jou almost suffered his second aneurism of the day 'Keep your minds out of the gutter…. I'm just talking hypothetically'

'Plans with your 'girlfriend' Jou-Sempai?' asked Koushiro

To which Yamato remarked 'you're clearly in the gutter with us! And what girlfriend? Is she a one of those types of doll?'

'Shut up…I was only commenting on this really unrealistic game…' Jou was then interrupted by Taichi before he could continue

'I thought you were a boy of traditional values…I'm gonna have to tell Hikari to keep away from you!' Taichi joked.

'Hikari needs to keep well away from all you perverts… Wait! How could you imply my girlfriend is a…you know what I hate all of you!'

The boys' sniggering was then interrupted by the sound of whip cracking and various statements of what McGee could 'lay claim too.' (The actions and lines were so cheesy that even Jou couldn't help but laugh)

And with that the brave hero set forth to overthrow Olympus; deciding mere mortal men, women and cat people were just the first stop on his quest (eliciting discussion between Jou and Koushiro about how historically inaccurate the game was too…leading to Yamato and Taichi pointing out what kind of game it was and what did they expect?).

Ten minutes later it was Koushiro's turn to play, cheered on by his fellow men he had enabled their avatar to scale up Mt Olympus, where they were now entering Aphrodite's chambers and having a dalliance with her hand maidens. Only to be interrupted by a decidedly un-sexy (bordering on terrified) shriek.

Oh yeah they'd forgotten the girls were coming….

Poor Meiko looked even more scandalised than Koushiro and Jou combined had, Mimi looked like she had walked into a goldmine (of blackmail material) and Sora had what could only be described as her 'mom' look; hands on her hips and facial expression the worst mix of anger and disappointment.

Taichi laughed nervously as Yamato tried to slowly retreat away from his 'girlfriend's' immediate reach.

'So Sora we can explain….'

The girl crossed her arms and straightened her back 'Explain? What is there to explain? I mean, being teenage boys and curious about thrash like this is one thing but to do so when other people could show up and the Digimon are present!'

She was interrupted by Piyomon, who had taken to the air to get a peek at the computer, choosing now to speak up 'Sora…why are those people on screen hugging so aggressively? Are they fighting?'

Meiko immediately turned even redder and started spluttering incoherently to the point Jou had to lead her to one of the sofas and offer her his paper bag to hyperventilate into.

'Piyomon, take Palmon and Meicoomon and go to your room….I mean join the other Digimon!'

Said Digimon rushed to comply and join their comrades, expressing how wired humans were as they went.

With their partners out of the way, Sora returned her scorn back on the boys before her 'What were you thinking? Taichi and Yamato I might expect this behaviour from…'

'Hey!' exclaimed Taichi at the same time Yamato yelled 'Don't lump me in with him!'

Sora shot them a withering look which shut them up immediately before continuing 'But you too Koushiro and Jou? We're meant to be discussing the infected Digimon not playing around with your joysticks! Honestly how could you be so….'

She was however interrupted by Mimi who had booted a blushing Koushiro (who most definitely had a nose bleed) from the computer chair and unpaused the game 'relax Sora-san' she said with a giggle 'my friend in America has a game like this, its mesmerizingly stupid…'

She then started playing the game, continuously pressing down hard on the X button (causing a rumbling sound from the computer and exclamations of admiration from Aphrodite), before bursting out laughing 'No way….Your character's thrusts are causing earthquakes.'

All the boys immediately surrounded the screen and even Meiko had crept closer to the screen with a 'Are you serious? That sounds really stupid!' before joining in with the laughter and leaving Sora standing on the other side on the desk her hand paused in mid-air and mouth open in mid-lecture.

With a frustrated groan the holder of the crest of love walked round the table, prepared to smack some sense into people if she had too (It was probably gonna be a losing battle…Mimi had joined the ranks of the insane and what Mimi wanted, Mimi tended to get).

Mimi once again burst out laughing 'ohmygosh what's with those heaving bosoms?' and even Sora (having caught a glimpse of them) had to stop what she was doing in order to comment in disbelief 'what is this rubbish, real breasts don't work that way.'

This caused Yamato to involuntarily look at her chest, receive a slap from Sora in return (much to Taichi's amusement) and cause the girl to walk away muttering how 'she gave up' and 'was done with these idiots.'

'Aww come on Sora come join us!' Taichi tried to appeal to his best friend.

'Hell no!'

Yamato turned his puppy dog eyes on her 'What's the big deal, everyone is treating it as a joke…even Jou! Think of it as a bonding exercise. This is the stupidest stuff I've ever witnessed!'

Sora levelled him with a glare 'Bonding exercise over porn? If you're trying to get into my good books you're failing miserably!'

'Aww don't be a Debbie downer Sooorrrrra-sannnnnn!' Mimi sing-songed, having relinquished the controls to Jou.

Sora however had to stand firm, somebody had to be standing pillar of morality amongst all this insanity! She will not allow these heathens to break her and….

'Welcome to Atlantis; where everything's better down where its wetter!' rang from the speakers.

And with that sheer stupidity toppled a nation (well Sora's resolve) as the girl couldn't help but burst out laughing, collapsing against Yamato with a 'they seriously did not just say that!' and thus the games insanity captured the attention of another Digidestined.

The Digimon in the meanwhile watched the whole exchange, clearly amused by their partner's actions.

Meicoomon however, turned to her new team-mates confused 'I don't really understand what's' going on…'

'Well that's because some context is needed!' Gomamon piped up 'Perhaps an analogy would help….. You know how Angemon has a staff and Angewomon doesn't?'

He was thankfully stopped by his partner (who's Gomamon senses were tingling) with a resounding 'Gomamon No!'

As the game was once again paused and Jou lectured his partner, Sora felt something nagging at the back of her mind. The girl of then turned to her assorted friends to voice that doubt 'Guys are we forgetting something.'

To which Taichi distractedly replied 'eh…It's probably not important! Hey Jou, hurry up and get back here before we give Meiko or Sora your turn!'

….

Today had been a pretty good day for Hikari; well nothing special per se had happened during school itself but she had learned during her photography club that a collection of her works had won a contest and were to be displayed at an actual exhibition. It got even better when she went to meet up with Takeru after his basketball practice; her best friend greeted her with a big smile and politely ignored the other girls swarming around him to rush up and chat with her (which pleased her more than it should…the reasons for which she needn't dwell on). Turned out he'd had a pretty god day too as his team had won a surprise practice match against a rival school and the two shared a mutual congratulatory hug once he learned about her pictures.

They had then headed over to the nearest convenience store to buy the snacks they promised Koushiro and Takeru helped literally make the day even sweeter by buying her favourite convenience store ice cream (stating it was to congratulate her for her hard work as a faint blush covered his cheeks). The duo then made a quick pit stop to collect their Digimon and headed over to Koushiro's office, arms laden with food and the conversation flowing freely between all four participants.

They were heading down the hallway to Digidestined HQ (as they liked to call it) when the conversation switched from their hopes for the next instalments of Harry Potter to Hikari's exhibition.

'Do you think everyone would like to come?' asked Hikari.

'Of course they would Hikari!' her partner assured her 'this is a big deal for you after all!'

Takeru grinned 'You're practically a professional now! And it's the afternoon of Jou's last mock so even he could make it!'

'Hopefully' Hikari then thoughtfully tapped her chin 'should I ask Jou to see if he wants to bring his girlfriend?'

Patamon perked up from his perch atop Takeru's head 'Yes do so! So Gomamon can give her his SEAL of approval!'

Takeru burst into peals of laughter 'Ohmygosh Patamon that was punny! I'm so proud!'

Hikari rolled her eyes 'Comments like that should be pun-ishable!'

Poor Tailmon let out a groan at that 'Please stop for the sake on my sanity!'

'You really need to learn the ways of the bad puns Tailmon' remarked Patamon as he flew over to open the door.

Whatever remark Tailmon would have said however, was drowned out as the four entered the room by Koushiro yelling 'No not the tentacles!'

This was followed by the image of all the older kids; faces red with laughter, some clutching their stomachs, some wheezing, some with tears running down their faces and of course completely oblivious to the presence of the youngest.

That was until Takeru got over his momentary confusion and asked (with his typical shit-eating grin) 'Onii-Chan what's this I hear about tentacles?'

Roused from the strange trance the stupidity of the game brought fourth and undoubtedly shocked by the presence of the two youngest, everybody's 'older sibling' instinct kicked in. Taichi and Yamato shrieked at a pitch high enough to cut glass and flung themselves towards the screens (even though Takeru and Hikari couldn't see what was on it from the other side of the desk), crushing Jou against the desk in the process, Mimi tripped over her feet and started to loudly proclaim how clumsy she was and how rude the four of them were for surprising her, Meiko retreated to a corner and hyperventilated into a paper bag while Koushiro started stuttering about how nice it was to see them and then loudly asked Tentomon if he wanted oolong tea.

However the reaction that drew the newcomer's attention the most was the usually composed and calm Sora's. Quick as a flash she had crossed the room and placed herself before them, face red and eyes darting around the room.

'What are…are…you doing here?' The older girl sounded uncharacteristically flustered.

Takeru and Hikari exchanged a confused look before the latter spoke heisting 'Um….there was supposed to be a meeting right? Takeru and I said we'd be late.'

'Oh…did you hear that Koushiro…hehhe…. Well we're done with the meeting now and you can just like….go home!'

Takeru then held up his bags of snacks, blue eyes widening innocently 'but we brought snacks!'

'hehe…Ummm' Sora then briefly glanced behind her to see Taichi and Yamato's terrified faces, while Mimi motioned to get rid of the younger two. The eldest of the girls then plastered a big, fake and clearly nervous smile on her face before responding to Takeru 'Aww how sweet of you two….promise to treat you later….okay bye bye!' and hastily grabbing the snacks from their arms.

And with that she unceremoniously chucked Takeru, Hikari and their Digimon from the office before locking the door (Hikari swore she heard a 'take us with you!' from some of the other partner Digimon).

A few moments past before Hikari propped herself up on her elbow to look at her companions 'what just happened?'

'No idea, but that wasn't very nice!' said Patamon with a huff. Takeru picked up his partner before turning to his friend. 'Man Sora's strong… say we go back in there and demand an explanation?'

'Wait…' Tailmon's ears perked up 'I just heard Taichi say something along the lines of 'looks like you could say this battle has hit its peak!'….what does that mean?'

The two humans in question quickly turned to look at the door is disbelief before Hikari spoke up 'On second thought I don't want to know…'

'Same here…. Wanna store this away as potential black mail material, go binge watch Fullmetal Alchemist and pretend the disappointment of the last three episodes didn't happen.'

Hikari shuddered as she heard the peals of laughter ring from the other side of the door.

'Yes please!'


	8. Guardian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Hey guys! Barely 48 hours after Climax I have another chapter out and I'm actually through most of my planned stories for this series (though I have no plans to end it anytime soon...we still have three more movies)! This will probably be my fastest update in a while as I'm starting work on Monday and have a busy week coming up.
> 
> Warning...this contains spoilers for Taichi's central conflict in Tri so far as well as for a particular scene in 'Determination.'
> 
> Set before the scene where Taichi brings Leomon to Koushiro's office (I was wondering how Taichi bumped into Leomon...)
> 
> I personally find Taichi's conflict very in character for him and an incredibly interesting one for the older digidestined to continue. The execution isn't perfect but I've enjoyed it so far. Taichi has had his doubts in the past and we are seeing how he starts on the path to becoming a diplomat. I've attempted to explore it in this chapter.
> 
> I'm not super happy with the ending but the chapters conveyed many of the things I've hoped for when starting this series; explore the events in Tri and its characters, try write out some of my head cannons of their earlier years, relations between the chosen and of course employing different tones and themes for different stories. I hope you enjoy and as always I'll love to know your thoughts and feedback!
> 
> I can't believe its mid November...I'm waiting for the 'Loss' summary and/or teaser to be released.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own digimon

Guardian

Yagami Taichi was the leader of the Digidestined, bearer of the crest of courage, soccer captain and big brother extraordinaire.

But at the same time the protector of not one but two worlds was also a confused teenage boy, one who didn't feel that he was doing a particularly good job at three of the four aforementioned roles.

Need proof? Well first off he was dragging his feet, something he realized as he accidently kicked a discarded cola can and sent it skidding down the street. He stared at the object for a moment, contemplating whether he should pick it up and toss it in the nearby thrash can or if he should ignore it the way he was his other problems (might as well keep up his winning streak). However, performing his civic duty in helping keep the pavements clean would buy him a few minutes. Which meant a few more moments before he had to head to Koushiro's office to a meeting about the infected Digimon (and observe how Koushiro was picking up the slack for his lack of leadership lately), a few moments away from Yamato's judgemental eyes and the questions about why Omegamon split up or why was Taichi hesitating in a way he never had in the past (though that wasn't quite true). Questions Taichi wasn't sure he knew how to answer.

With the weight of all this on his mind it wouldn't be a stretch to presume that Taichi was feeling rather despondent. It didn't help that he snapped at his sister the night before when she suggested he talk to Jou and rightly identified that there was something Taichi didn't want to face. It had been one of the few times in his life he'd ever told his sister to leave, if there was one person Yagami Taichi adored above all else (even Agumon), it was his baby sister. His mother always loved to talk about how excited Taichi was when he discovered he was gonna have a little sibling (she even had a reaction video to go with it) and whereas most previously only children became jealous on the arrival of a new sibling, Taichi had fallen head over heels for Hikari. The little girl had been born nearly two months early due to some complications during Yuuko's pregnancy and had been rather sickly as a result. Despite little Taichi not getting very much attention from his worried parents at the time, the toddler had shouldered on. Perhaps seeing his delicate little sister in an incubator (despite his parents best efforts…he'd been quite tenacious even then) had triggered his protective instincts, he sang for his little sister, told her stories, helped calm her down, followed his mother around like a shadow whenever the women was attending to her daughter and otherwise thought she was the best thing since sliced bread. An incident his mother loved to bring up that demonstrated that was his first meeting with Ishida Yamato (one which neither of them remembered but Takashi Natsuko verified had happened). Turned out their parents had been acquainted when everyone lived at Hikarigaoka and Yuuko had agreed to watch Yamato for an afternoon while the then six months pregnant woman went for her weekly check-up and then to interview some allusive old businessman (apparently the station figured not even Stooge himself would turn away a pregnant lady or make a pass at her). Taichi, immediately on learning how nervous his new friend was about becoming a big brother had dragged Yamato over to the crib of his two-month old sister. Proceeding to lecture the other boy (with that infallible wisdom all three year olds possessed) how awesome being a big brother was and how they had to be like superheroes and protect the little ones (cause they really couldn't do all that much but wriggle around like fish outta water). He also then stressed how Yamato should follow his example even though his future sibling was obviously never going to be as awesome as his little sister, to which Yamato took offence on behalf of his unborn brother and the incident culminated in the twos first official scuffle. One that was of course rectified when Yuuko made Taichi apologise, the two boys then shared dango and poky sticks and watched Voltron re-runs. Otherwise becoming good friends for the rest of the evening, if only the issues they had with each other now could be solved as easily!

Honestly this was really tough for Taichi, protecting people he loved had started with Hikari and had easily extended to the rest of the team during those long months spent in the Digiworld. Back then he'd driven the team forward and focused on the big picture. It hadn't always worked and clashed with the views of Yamato and Mimi but it had helped get the job done. Taichi had to focus on the bigger picture because in those moments he was forced to look at the smaller details, like when the group split up and Sora was kidnapped, he froze. His mind flashed back to the image of a cell phone crushed under a bridge… this was one of those times.

A cell phone was such a commonplace thing, everyone had one, it connected them to family and work. That phone could have belonged to anyone and seeing it crushed, seeing the reactions of the media to the Digimon, brought to life something Taichi had never allowed himself to consider. Something he didn't even contemplate or realize at the age of eleven. Fighting in the human world was so different to fighting in the Digiworld; you had collateral damage, you had everyday life being disrupted! In the Digital world it had been tough and they lost comrades but those comrades were aware of what they were getting themselves into and had made the choice to fight and deal with the consequences (an image of an Angle reassuring a crying little boy as he disintegrated or a kind wizard wanting nothing more than to save a friend came to mind).

With humans on the other hand, they were dealing with plenty of innocent bystanders, people who had no choice or knowledge about what was going on; they could end up killing someone, they could destroy a building and bring a halt to someone's livelihood, divide a family…they could have already done all of those things during Vandemon's invasion of Odaiba! They needed to step back and consider the very real consequences of their actions. Digimon were reborn but humans only had one life to live.

But at the same time Taichi knew Yamato was right when he said Taichi's indecisiveness was causing more harm than good; it had almost gotten Meiko killed…Oh god what if his inability to take action ended up hurting Hikari? It wasn't like Taichi didn't want to get to the bottom of these Digimon attacks or didn't care! In fact he wouldn't be agonising over the whole affair so much if he didn't give a toss! He wished they could save everyone if it was possible!

The boy clutched at his hair with a frustrated sign, gosh this was getting him nowhere! No wonder Yamato was so irritated with him…he was irritated enough with himself and it gave him no clues as to what he should be doing. Taichi then snapped his goggles over his eyes, ignoring the sting in an attempt to feel somewhat useful, might as well keep a look out. He wasn't sure what he expected but as he looked at his surroundings he caught sight of a distortion appearing out of the corner of his eye (he almost laughed bitterly… right when he was alone and helpless…how very convenient). The boy ducked into a nearby bush and pulled out his phone in preparation for texting the others his location when he was suddenly hoisted into the air and almost smacked in the face by a well-defined peck.

Taichi's surprised yelp was drowned out by a deep noble-sounding chuckle. 'My my….you sure have grown child of courage!'

On meeting the sparking blue eyes of their long-time ally Taichi let out a relived and happy shout of 'Leomon!'

The aforementioned Digimon set the boy down on his feet with another chuckle 'I wouldn't have recognised you if not for your hair and smell, humans sure can change!'

'Hello to you to Leomon and wait…my smell? Dude that's kinnda creepy!'

The mammalian Digimon looked confused 'Why is that not how you identify friend and foe?'

Taichi found himself genuinely laughing 'never mind buddy, it's just a culture clash thing?' he found himself genuinely grinning 'What are you doing here?'

'I was hoping to discuss the state of the Digiworld.' The lion Digimon spoke matter of factly 'fortune must indeed be shining upon me as I ran into you.'

Taichi's grin dropped slightly (of course…Mimi mentioned he'd snatched away Orgemon ) 'Makes sense… I'm on my way to a group meeting actually…lady luck must really like you!' He flipped open his phone 'let me send Koushiro a quick text to let them know I'm bringing a guest.'

Leomon watched him send the message with great interest 'what a nifty little device!'

Snapping the phone shut Taichi turned towards his friend with a smile 'yeah…we're gonna have to take the back routes to reduce the chances of people seeing you.' (It was probably safe…he highly doubted anyone would try mug him with Leomon around)

'But of course shall we?' said Leomon as he followed Taichi down the new path. The two walked in silence for a moment before the Digimon decided to strike up some conversation 'So how are Mimi and Jou doing? It's been a while since I've seen them.'

'Okay… well Jou's going through a stressful time with school lately and Mimi's readjusting to life in Japan.'

His digital companion nodded (though Taichi suspected he probably didn't really understand the significance of those problems) 'And the little yellow haired one? I still feel guilty about trying to murder him at primary village…'

Taichi laughed awkwardly…oh yeah that was a thing (to be fair a surprising amount of their allies tried to murder them at some point) 'Hey you were possessed by the devil…it wasn't your fault! Takeru certainly doesn't hold any grudges…speaking of him, he's not so little anymore! The squirts all grown up, saving china, trolling mercilessly and making the occasional moon-eyes at my sister (much to my annoyance)…ohh you've never met Hikari have you?'

'Moon eyes? Never mind… I don't believe I have actually.'

'Great! You can meet her and the others in a bit, it'll be a good chance to catch up!'

Leomon released another one of his rumbling laughs 'I look forward to it…oh how rude of me! I forgot to ask how you were doing.'

'Uhhh…' Taichi shot a look at his anthropomorphic companion, he'd felt better within moments of meeting the guy and his presence just felt safe.

You know what…screw it! If the Pevensie siblings could gain guidance from a talking lion…so could he!

And with that Taichi found himself telling Leomon almost everything about his doubts and fears. The wise lion waited for him to finish before speaking.

'You know…I feel bad for your team, you're all so young and yet you were expected and still are expected to save two worlds. You never asked for the responsibility, nor were you really expected to complain about it.'

'I suppose but we're the Digidestined…'

'Yes but that doesn't mean you aren't allowed your doubts young one. It's by recognising your weaknesses and the flaws in your greatest strengths that you become stronger. We cannot expect you to save our world when you need to save yourselves.'

'But I've been so confused lately; it's not helping anyone… not my team, not the Digimon and not the people I'm trying to save.'

'Maybe but your gaining valuable perspective on something that shouldn't be ignored either Taichi you've said you had doubts and 'froze up' in the past…but you've learned from those right? This darkness much like then will pass but its ultimately up to you…if it takes more time to realize what it is so be it. For courage is not the absence of fear…its embracing those fears and pushing past them.'

'So you're saying I need to find a way to compromise….And my teammates?'

'Indeed! As for your team; they are clearly concerned about you and supporting you in what ways they can and you of course have my support.' The Lion stopped to give him a pat on the shoulder 'feel better.'

Taichi found himself feeling a little lighter than before, he still had a lot he needed to think over but it was nice to discuss his problems and know he was supported.

'Yes actually! Thank you for you wisdom Obi Leowan Kenobi!'

'Obi Leowan Kenobi?'

'Nevermind buddy!' and with that Taichi shot his companion a smile as they entered Koushiro's office.

Taichi knew he had to try figure out his issues, it wasn't going to be easily and he was still confused but he had too… because Leomon's kindness had reminded him what they were fighting for.


	9. Showdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: So this came out ridiculously fast... Well it's my last day of freedom and on looking at the Digimon Adventure tri 30 day challenge(and realising what a wonderful job Keitsu and Kokuhaku did with these guys) on tumbr this idea sprung to mind.
> 
> I hope you like it!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own digimon.

Showdown

The stakes were high, the bets had been placed and the round was drawing to a close as the dealer flipped over his hidden hole card.

'Alright folks time to reveal your cards!'

A chorus of groans and the occasional satisfied chuckle rang out as the players who hadn't folded revealed their accumulated cards. But all were immediately drowned out by a triumphant cry at the end of the table.

'Ahaha…blackjack suckers! Now hand over the snacks!' yelled a triumphant Agumon as he slammed down an Ace and a Jack. A series of groans and mumbled curses were uttered as the little dinosaur added his winnings to his current stash (easily the largest out of any of the Digimons present).

'I don't get it' exclaimed Tailmon 'How does the bottomlesspitmon have the best poker face and keep winning most of the rounds?'

'Now now guys….Agumon's only playing by the rules of the game and his luck is exceptional tonight.' Tentomon tried to reason as he collected the cards to reshuffle them (tonight was his night to be the dealer).

'Uh huh' said Patamon with a happy shrug (he could afford to be, he had the second largest pile of earnings) 'anyways the rules of the game are we're playing against the dealer…not each other.'

'Plus its Agumon and food….' Chimed in Palmon 'that as Mimi says is a better love story than twilight!'

'Nevertheless it's rather suspicious….' Gabumon (who had the second smallest pile and a surprising competitive streak) narrowed his eyes at his friend 'you better not be cheating buddy!'

'Who me?' Agumon shot his accusers an innocent look 'Don't be sore losermon…How I could cheat? In case you haven't noticed I'm as naked as the day I was born…I have no gloves or fur coats on me.'

That shut up both Tailmon and Gabumon instantly.

'What are you guys complaining about? I'm the biggest loser here tonight!' quipped Gomamon as he observed his rather meagre pile. 'And I'm naturally handicapped too…' he held up one flipper 'does this look like it's designed to hold cards?'

Piyomon side-eyed him 'I've seen you use chopsticks perfectly!'

'That's beside the point!'

'Alright guys, time to reel it in!' interrupted Tentomon 'What do you say to one more round and we move over to another board game?' he waited a few minutes for his companions agreement before continuing 'okay players…place your bets!'

'Place nice everyone its game night afterall!' exclaimed Piyomon as she placed the minimum bet possible (an individual packet of wasabi balls).

This earned a snigger from Gomamon 'First rule of game night is that nobody talks about game night!' the seal Digimon happily placed a macha chocolate bar on the table as his 'bet'. 'Gosh I've been waiting to say that movie quote all night!' he continued ignoring Palmon's unimpressed look.

'That was out of context!' the plant Digimon protested as she tossed in a packet of senbei.

'I thought it was brilliant!' Patamon chirped happily 'Here you go dealer….one bag of skittles! It's the last round and I feel like splurging!'

'Please I can top that!' Agumon was smirking now 'three packs of Pocky!' he then turned to the last two of his companions who had yet to place a bet…almost daring them with his eyes to do better (even though he could afford not to be stingy more than they could).

'Your maturity needs to grow at the rate your stomach does…' huffed Gabumon as he added his wager of a single chocolate umaibo stick (his pile of winnings really were pathetic). Tailmon in the meanwhile took a different approach and rose to the bait.

'Is that a challenge Agumon?' Tailmon was smirking now 'Very well…' and with that she placed a miniature bottle of clear liquid on the table 'I wager this bottle of sake!'

The table grew silent for a few beats before Piyomon decided to query (in a voice sounding suspiciously like Sora's judgmental tone) 'Where did you get alcohol?'

'A feline never reveals her secrets…' sniffed Tailmon haughtily 'Plus who's the adult level Digimon here?'

'Meicoomon is also an adult' pointed out Palmon.

'What does that have to do with anything?' sighed Tailmon 'She's not even here…her partner didn't let her come.'

'Aww I think Tailmon's a little jealous of the other adult level cat like Digimon' teased Patamon before he was wacked by his friend's tail (prompting Gomamon to snigger).

'Ouch Tailmon…that holy ring hurts'

'Good, that's what you get for speaking absolute rubbish… now be prepared to lose your skittles' was the reply of his attacker, she then turned to the dealer 'so what do you say Tenty? Gonna accept my bet?'

'I feel it would be unwise to say no.' (He was lucky the only other Digimon who heard his mutter of 'I'm surrounded by crazy mons…' was Piyomon)

'Then deal away!' cut in an amused Gabumon… he was eager to see how everything would play out.

Each Digimon was then handed two cards before Tentomon revealed his own hand (a king and a seven) before placing his hidden hole card face down.

Piyomon and Palmon chose to fold while Gomamon, Gatomon and Patamon yelled 'hit me.'

'Aww numnuts..' muttered Gomamon as the extra card meant his total exceeded 21 (tonight was really not his night).

'Alright next round…' said Tentomon as he turned to Patamon

'Hit me please!' the insectoid digimon then handed him over another card, the little digimon's face fell as he too was eliminated from the game with a mutter of 'god dammit not my skittles….I just had to bet the skittles!'

Agumon let out a chuckle at that before patting his friend on the back and promising to share the skittles with him if he won.

'Anyone else want another card?' asked Tentomon observing the remaining players.

Tailmon's eyes were determined 'Nope'

Gabumon and Agumon shook their heads.

'Alright then…reveal your cards.'

Agumon and Gabumon both triumphantly turned over cards with a total of nineteen, upon seeing them Tailmon grinned like the Cheshire cat before revealing her hand.

'Ha…looks like I've got a twenty!'

'Aww man' grouched Gabumon before leaning towards his DNA Digivolution partner and whispering 'what do you say we form an alliance and steal her sake.'

Agumon winked at him in agreement 'your speaking my language…I've been eying those wasabi balls all night!'

Gabumon's confused reply was however cut of as Tentomon revealed the hidden hole card.

'Sorry Tailmon…. Looks like I got a four…that brings my total to 21! Dealer wins this round!'

The feline digimon's face fell as she watched her prized sake be dragged away from her 'I call another round! this game is rigged!'

'Nope…there's nothing but the highest standards to fairness when I deal!' Exclaimed Tentomon in his most pompously righteous voice. 'Games over time to move on people.'

'Hell no…Give me the chance to win back my sake!'

'Bets are closed for the night!'

'I want my skittles back' yelled Patamon (mostly for the hell of it) before Gomamon joined in 'I call mutiny for the snacks!'

'I say we adopt socialist principles and share the lot!' agreed Palmon.

Agumon in the meanwhile was trying to make off with the sizable amount of goodies he had already won before Gabumon realized his betrayal and set off after him.

'Nobody deserves snacks!' shouted a frustrated Piyomon.

And with that all hell broke loose.

…

(Meanwhile on the other side of Obaiba…)

Izumi Koushiro watched the great snack civil war erupt in shock, the boy had been working on some last minute homework when he accidently switched on the feed to his office. Staring transfixed at the screen the boy couldn't help but mutter,

'So that's what they do when we're not around...'


	10. Hats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: I'm back! Work has been so full on. This story was inspired by a really cute picture on Tumbr where Sora, Mimi and Takeru swap their season one hats!
> 
> This story was intended to be mostly cute! It's a scene I would love to see happen in Tri...Takeru deserves all the big sisters! I've tried include as many references to adventure as possible.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own this characters.

Hats

'This is gonna be great! Ohmygosh…Ohmygosh Sora I can't wait to see their faces!'

'Good to know Mimi' replied the other girl with a chuckle as she watched her friend bound ahead 'I for one cannot wait till I get to dump your bag somewhere far away from me.' The older girl let out an 'oof' as she grabbed Mimi's bag from the conveyor belt to set it down on the airport trolley and stretched her back until it let out a satisfying 'crick'.

'Whoops sorry Sora-san!' Exclaimed Mimi as she rushed back to help her friend 'guess I got over excited.'

'No, no I get it…it's been over a year since you've seen everyone. But seriously, what's in your bag? It weights a ton….It's not good for your back.'

'Presents silly' Mimi shot Sora her brightest smile, 'it's been so long….I can't wait to surprise everyone on August first with…'

'Your fabulous self…'

Mimi winked at her 'Why of course Sora-san…that's why I told only you. You obviously want a piece of the Mimi.'

Sora wrinkled her nose at that 'eww…no wonder you brought presents to bribe us and distract us from well...' she gestured to her friend 'your actual presence.'

'Don't be confined to your heteronomativity' shot back Mimi with a flick of her long brown hair 'not like I'll go for an old lady with back problems anyways.' She said teasingly, before leaning in and pretending to examine Sora's hair 'I mean are those greys I see in those carrot coloured locks?'

'You pink sparkly cow!' Sora gasped in mock horror as her friend giggled giddily.

'You know I love you really!'

'I know! I Know!' Sora grinned back 'gosh I've missed you…It's really been so long.'

With that the two reunited friends, drunk on the excitement of their reunion and little secret headed towards the exit of departures intent on hailing a taxi (it was a weekday and Sora had travelled by bus to get there).

Mimi skipped ahead of Sora once again, her spirits ridiculously high despite the incredibly long flight.

She then suddenly spun round to face her companion, voice raising several decibel levels 'You know Sora…I think this is totally going to be the best holiday….'

'Attention passengers, due to unexpected severe weather conditions we advise all passengers to remain in the airport. Roads and Runways have been closed off for your safety, we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.' Blared over the speakers.

'Ever…' finished Mimi, arms frozen in mid-air as she stared blankly at the announcement before dropping her arms dejectedly.

Sora gave her friend a sympathetic pat on the back.

….

'Urghh…' Mimi let out a groan as she rested her forehead against the table. After the announcement had been made the two girls had decided to sit in the nearest coffee shop and do their best to wait out the sudden storm. The sound of harsh rain and wind outside along with the subdued conversations of annoyed passengers doing little to help her mood.

Sora sat across from her friend, lips pursed and an almost empty cup of (now cold) chai latte in her hands, the look on her face was an irritated one. She understood Mimi's annoyance but she couldn't help but feel her friend was being overdramatic. Sure they were off to a rocky start but it was much better than some of the stuff they put up with in the digital world and in no way meant Mimi's plans for the 'best holiday ever' were destroyed. However, in all fairness, her friend had just gotten off a 14 hour and 20 minute flight so who was she to lecture her exhausted friend?

'Look Mimi-Kun…' She started hesitantly in an attempt to cheer up her friend 'the anniversary is the day after tomorrow so it's not like those plans could get ruined in anyway! The surprise is still intact.'

Mimi perked up lethargically in a manner akin to Gollum exiting his cave and experiencing sunlight for the first time in years 'I suppose so…Sorry Sora-san I didn't sleep all that much on the flight and your right it can't get worse than…'

'Sora-san…Mimi-san…what are you doing here?' asked a surprised Takaishi Takeru as his mother raised a curious eyebrow at them (looking eerily similar to her eldest as she did so).

'oh goddamit!' yelled a disgruntled Mimi in English as she re-acquainted her forehead with the table's surface.

'There…there…' said Sora with a long suffering sigh as she set down her mug to give Mimi a pat on the back, shooting the two confused newcomers an apologetic look as she did so.

…

'So you came back to surprise us for the anniversary? That's so nice!' Takeru exclaimed happily and seemingly oblivious to Mimi's uncharactistically grumpy mood.

Sora shot Mimi an annoyed look as the other girl let out a sarcastic 'Yeah, I'm a right saint..' and quickly cut into the conversation 'exactly and that's why you need to keep it a secret from every one…even Yamato and Hikari-chan.' She then paused thoughtfully 'Speaking of your brother…I'm surprised he didn't accompany you to drop off your uncle and his husband.'

'Aniki has a music exam today, he said goodbye yesterday …' Takeru then puffed out his chest proudly 'He's taking the final and hardest level….I'm sure he'll ace it!'

'Boasting about your brother again mon garcon petillant? He's Yamato's biggest fan!' exclaimed Takaishi Natsuko as she headed back to the table, a steaming mug of coffee in one hand and gracefully shutting her phone with the other before taking a seat next to her son and attempting to ruffle his hair as he dogged her efforts (earning a laugh from Mimi).

'Okaasan you're so embarrassing!' muttered Takeru as he blushed furiously and avoided his friend's amused looks and despicable 'aww'ing.

His mother on the other hand chose to ignore him, turning to focus on the two girls in front of her 'Looks like we're stuck here for a while, the storm looks like it might be letting up a bit but I doubt they'll give us the all clear anytime soon. Why don't you kids amuse yourselves by wandering around the shopping area in departures…might cheer this one up!' she gestured to Mimi with a motherly smile 'I'm gonna use this opportunity to finish some work…'

'Okaasan always has her laptop on her, it's like an extra limb…' Takeru cut in cheekily

'Hush now you cheeky sod!' Natsuko waved of her son (and ignored his 'Mama...was that a British colloquialism? Where's your French pride?') with a flick behind his ear and continued speaking as if he hadn't interrupted 'I'll look after your bag in the meanwhile Tachikawa-Kun and then I'll drop both of you girls home.'

'Oh there's no need Ms Takaishi' Sora said as formally as possible (she was a lot more awkward around her 'boyfriends' mother than even Yamato, who had set aside most of his issues with her. She had never quite been sure what the older woman thought of her and was eager to maintain respectful boundaries.)

'Nonsense….Okaasan doesn't mind, we'd rather you get back safely!' Exclaimed Takeru as he eagerly dragged them away from potential motherly scorn (target himself). Natsuko waived them off with a smile and a promise to call Sora's mother and let her know what was happening.

The 'banished' trio then headed towards the small parade of shops the arrivals/departures lounge had to offer (which wasn't much as the majority of stores were located past security). The youngest desperately wanted to make a beeline for the nearest bookstore but refrained from doing so as Mimi (who look more cheerful… nice to know she enjoyed the motherly teasing that was at his expense) eyed the department store longingly before squealing excitedly and dashing inside.

The remaining two exchanged an amused look before following after her. The bearer of sincerity was happily examining a pair of pink pumps and humming to herself amusedly.

Sora chuckled 'I guess there's no therapy like shopping therapy!'

'What about puppy therapy?' shot back Takeru amicably, his voice unexpectedly cracking as he did so.

His cheeks once again turned bright red as the two girls he considered big sisters turned to look at him.

Mimi reached over to squish his cheeks, looking both smug and proud at the same time 'Aww our baby Kery-Kun has grown up…looks like he's discovered puberty! Ohh...' Her eyes then lit up before she tossed her heeled shoes at Sora (ignoring the wired looks she was getting from other shoppers) before excitedly exclaiming 'Look you're taller than me now! Our baby is growing up Sora! He'll have manly stubble and we'll have to beat away potential suitors with sticks before we know it! '

Sora balanced Mimi's shoes in one arm and pretended to wipe away a tear with the other 'I remember when he was just a little munchkin….small enough for me to tuck under my arm like a rugby ball and flee WaruMonzaemon…those were the days!' She then tapped his chin playfully and handed Mimi back her shoes 'better drink plenty of milk and work on getting taller than me now! Strange to think you'll eventually be able to carry me around!'

'I don't think nii-san would like that!' muttered Takeru, his face redder than Koushiro's hair. 'Ughh I traded one embarrassing mother for two!'

'You calling us old Kery-kun!' exclaimed Mimi in mock outrage 'look at this boy Sora-san, no respect for his elders whatsoever! I thought we raised him better than this!'

'Hey look a hat section!' Takeru exclaimed excitedly in an attempt to distract the two girls before him. He picked up a familiar looking hat and jammed it over the beanie that already adorned his head 'look I'm Mimi-Kun!'

Both girls were flooded in nostalgia at the sight of a pink cow girl hat that looked very familiar to the one Mimi wore in the Digiworld.

'This sure brings back the memories!' Mimi said wistfully as she tried it on, examining herself in the mirror thoughtfully. 'It's kinnda funny that it's the three of us out of all the original team in the hat section…'

Sora chuckled as she picked up a sky blue barrette 'We were the hat-pack weren't we?'

'A regular hat trick!' agreed Takeru as he shifted though the hats on display before examining a royal blue ascot with interest. Mimi peaked over his shoulder 'that matches your eye's Kery!'

'Why are you calling me Kery?'

'Why not?'

'Fair enough… can I call you Tachy-poo?'

'You can indeed Kery-berry now hand over that purple cartwheel hat that looks like a planet!'

'You two!' exclaimed Sora with a fond shake of her head and roll of her eyes as she tried on a lime green fascinator adorned with white flowers and delicate brown ribbons. 'So what do you think Tachy-Poo and Kery-Berry? Classy lady on the way to the race courses or key-lime pie enthusiast?'

'A classy lady with a Freudian propensity for key lime pies…' Chipped in Takeru as he swapped the ascot for an obnoxious chequered gatsby.

Mimi tipped the orange bowler hat she had pulled of the shelf and curtsied 'all hail Dame Bird mom!'

The three friends then spent some time laughing and trying on different ridiculous hats (ignoring the mixture of annoyed and amused looks from fellow shoppers) before Mimi pulled Takeru's beanie from his pocket and examined it 'Where did you get this?'

'Hikari-chan knitted it for me! Isn't it great!' the boy grinned happily as he pulled it over his messy blond hair. The girls looked it over nervously, the knitting wasn't perfect (but was still a decent effort for a 13 year old) and several blond locks suck out from small gaps in the weaving but he looked so earnestly happy with it that the girls wouldn't say anything contrary.

'You know you're the only one who stuck religiously to the hat wearing Takeru-Kun!'

'It's like my super power…wait you dropped the 'Kery' this must be serious. Don't be serious Tachy-poo it clashes with your shoes!'

Mimi playfully wacked Takeru over the head with a tam o'shanter hat as she shrieked 'impertinant brat!' and Takeru laughed and complained about 'Domestic violence!' Behaviour they immediately ceased once Dame Bird Mom insisted they behave.

'It's curious though…. I mean what is it about hats in particular?' Commented Sora as she wrapped a pretty dragon patterned bandana around Mimi's hair. It wasn't really much of a mystery; it was a truth universally acknowledged (amongst the Digidestined) that a Takeru in possession of a hat must be in want of another hat. In fact the majority of Takeru's hats were gifts from his friends, a tradition started by Taichi on the simple premise 'is there a hat he won't wear?' But no matter how ridiculous the others thought the hat was Takeru would wear it without fail, proclaiming his love for it as he did so.

'Hmm… you really want to know?' asked Takeru, his expression turned thoughtful as the two girls nodded their heads.

'Well, my first hat...the one I had in the Digiworld…was a gift from Yamato and the white bucket hat was a gift from Dad when we went fishing.' He shrugged (choosing to leave out how the former was a last gift from before the divorce and took years to fit him).

'Plus its practical…you know how Patamon uses my head as his personal perch? Makes it more comfy for the little guy and prevents him pulling out chucks of hair if I trip, which has happened. Now I just like the little added weight on my head…I can't describe it but it feels wired if I don't have something on my head.' His wistful smile turned into a grin 'Plus you guys feed my addiction and keep adding to my collection!'

'Good to know Kery-Berry.' Proclaimed Mimi more flippantly than she usually would (she'd expected something more along the lines of 'Iol idk I just like hats' than something which was surprisingly deep… However it was best to let Takeru think they didn't see though all the subtext behind his words).

Sora gave him an affectionate smile and squeezed his shoulder (he really had grown…they all had).

'Hey look!' Takeru (in a bid to return the atmosphere to a more playful one) jammed a baby pink beanie with cat ears over his head 'I'm Niko,Niko..Kawaii! Notice me Sempai!'

The two girls burst out laughing, until they realized a group of teenage boys nearby had joined in. 'Nice look Kid!' Jeered one them before the others joined in with some derogatory comments.

Mimi's hackles immediately raised as she linked her arms with her younger friend's (and little brother figure) 'Oi..punks! What are you looking at…got nothing better to do than laugh at someone younger and smaller? Those ''bad boyz'' jackets aren't compensating for anything. It's the preteen over here that has two beautiful women hanging off his arms…. I bet the only women that loves you are your mothers!'

They boys in question quickly shut up and slinked out of the store, shrinking in the face of Mimi's five foot tall waif-like fury, Sora's glare and the reprimanding looks from the store's manager.

'That's right keep walking! I've met pink pixies that could kick your arses!' Yelled Mimi with an enthusiastic shake of her fist (and the Fez she was holding).

Takeru looked at her with awe 'Wow Mimi-Kun your such a BAMF!'

'Why thank you darling!'

'Tone the language down guys before we get kicked out' reprimanded Sora playfully 'not that I blame you Mimi, I wanted to deck them…oh look they have porkpie hats!'

Takeru chuckled 'what is with this hat section! It has everything!' He picked up a sleek black formal hat and placed it on his head 'and I though Nii-san was protective' he muttered before asking in a louder voice 'does this make me look like a classy James bond type.'

Sora never the less heard his previous statement 'we're not that pro…'

'Oh my… Don't you look like a very charming, handsome young gentleman!' Cut in a woman in her twenties, tight black dress showcasing gravity defying bosoms and stilettos accompanying a flirtatious smile.

'Back off couger!' Sora hissed as she and Mimi immediately latched onto their young 'charge'.

They ignored Takeru's shocked look and questions of 'did you seriously hiss at that lady?' as the women tottered off and they returned to looking at hats. They also equally ignored his smug look once he realized that they had just proved his point.

'Look…Takeru-Kun with all that's happened you can't expect us not to be a little protective!' Sora gave him a stern look before shaking her head 'Plus what's with you Takaishia brothers and older women….remember the hitchhiking incident?'

Mimi shuddered slightly 'How could we forget…it was both hilarious and creepy in retrospect! Plus Kery-Kun you're just gonna have to deal with our 'protectiveness' think of us like Smaug guarding his treasure…'

'Smaug wasn't a good guy…'

'Any future girlfriends have to meet our high standards of approval. Right Sora-san!'

'Of course!' the older girl agreed before the two launched into a discussion over what their criteria for an appropriate girlfriend for any of their 'boys' should be. Takeru returned to browsing the shelves with an eye-roll and resigned 'Oy Vey…' before heading to the tills and returning with his purchases.

'Hey valiant rescuers! In acceptance of your noble deeds, hopes you don't murder anyone on my account and Tachy-Poo showing up I got gifts. I'm really glad we're spending time together…Plus it's time you re-join the hat club!'

'Aww sweetie you shouldn't have! I love it!' Exclaimed Sora happily as she wore the floppy yellow sunhat he got her and kissed his cheek fondly.

'Already learning how to bribe women huh?' Mimi squealed as she wore the pink cowboy hat from earlier 'thanks Kerry-berry!'

'No problem…consider them early Christmas gifts!'

'No wait, that's not fair we all need something to remember this experience!' Mimi giggled as she pulled a purple fedora of the shelf and plopped it on his head…. Before stifling a laugh, the poor kid looked ridiculous. 'Oh look at our dashing boy!' She loudly stage whispered to Sora, fully intent on finding a nicer hat. 'Don't encourage him' was her friends amused reply.

The girls of course had forgotten how much the younger boy loved any hat that was a gift from a friend. His blue eyes widening with happiness and his voice sounding incredibly touched and earnest 'really?'

Oh no… It was time for damage control.

'Takeru…sweetie, don't you want to try on some more hats? Asked Sora with trepidation, while Mimi's mouth opened and closed like a fish's.

'But you and Mimi-chan chose it for me! That makes me love it! Thank you so much Sora-nee and Mimi-nee!'

Oh no… he 'nee-chan'ed them and those blue puppy dog eyes were like kryptonite.

Before both girls knew it the shops till had chimed as they made the purchase and Takeru was happily dashing back to show off the new hat his 'big sisters' had bought to his mother.

'Sora…what have we done?'

The older girl groaned as she acquainted her palm with her forehead 'Yamato's gonna kill me!'


	11. Velocity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Well this was a speedy update (I'll probably retreat into inactivity again). Somewhat inspired by the ending song of confession (well the images that play during it)and Yamato having a moped in tri...I just wanted to write a story where Taichi and Yamato are just hanging out, being good friends and stupid teenage boys (they can't always be perfect friends and older siblings either XD).
> 
> I very much hold the views Takeru does in this story (you'll see what I mean). Also, Americans reading this story...I apologise in advance for any offence I may cause and personally do not have anything against you (though I question your politics...but then again I live in the UK...but voted remain btw...sorry leave voters).
> 
> Thanks again to all my regular reviews; Phillice, firefoxtsunami and Toastytoaster22 in particular.
> 
> Majigor when I first read your; make Taichi gain weight for added humor I was like...fat jokes? how old are you? And then I remebers I wrote an entire chapter where the chosen play a hentai game and came up with an idea to incorporate your suggestion in the story..so I really shouldn't judge. I can be a generous lady if need be.
> 
> Disclaimer; I own nothing.

Velocity

'Nooo…can't….stop…eating…..cakeee!'

Taichi's arms felt like lead as the sixteen year old (soon to be seventeen in two months) helplessly reached and dragged himself towards the deliciously gooey desserts. Shoving more and more of what could only be described as the tears of Jesus (for nothing else could taste so heavenly) into his maw despite feeling sicker as he did so, his body expanding with each swallow until he was balloon shaped.

A pair of scuffed trainers invaded his immediate line of sight as his beloved cake was taken away from him, he looked up only to meet the disappointed eyes of his football coach.

'Coach…why'd you take my cake? Give it back!'

'Sorry Yagami…it's come to my attention that you've simply gained too much weight to stay on the football team.'

'No coach…have mercy! Football is my life!'

'Very well!' his coach replied gravely 'You may remain on the team Yagami… but now you'll have to be the ball!'

'Wait what?' and before he knew it coach was gone, replaced by his traitorous teammates. They started passing him around the pitch crackling like gremlins and only promising to stop if they could make passes at his sister.

'Stay away from her you bastards!' he screamed before a voice cut through the haze of the football pitch, parting the clouds like the voice of god.

'Oi…wake up dumarse!'

….

'I will not be the ball!' screamed Taichi as he shot out of bed, only to be greeted by the startled blue eyes of Yamato Ishida.

'Do I want to ask?'

'Oh good god it was horrible! I ate so much cake I became a football and they would only stop kicking me if they could have my sister!'

Yamato raised his eyebrows 'expanded like Harry Potter's aunt Marge?'

'More like Violet Beauregarde actually…. I can only wish to have floated away from the torment!'

Yamato gave his friend an awkward pat on the back, crinkling his nose at his best friend's morning breath 'well if it makes you feel any better….I'll help protect your sister from your teammates and dispose of the bodies if need be!'

Taichi had dragged himself out of bed still half asleep the teenage wearily dragged himself towards the bathroom and splashed water of his face 'thanks man…you're a true bro! Deserving of your crest…don't let anyone tell you otherwise!'

'Good to know dude!' Chirped Yamato as he bounded after him happily (if Taichi was more awake he would have done a double take to see if he had the right Takaishia brother).

'By the way…' Started Taichi as he finished rubbing his face with a towel and reached for his toothbrush '…not that I don't appreciate you saving me from life as a football. But what the hell are you doing here on a Saturday morning? Who let your goldilocks ass in? Waking up to Yamato Ishida may be the dream of many a teenage girl but it sure as hell ain't mine!' He paused to shove his toothbrush in his mouth before adding as an afterthought 'happy belated birthday by the way!'

'Why thank you Taichi!' Yamato still had a stupid grin on his face (Oh god the last time his friend was this obnoxiously happy was when he called Taichi in the middle of the night to talk about how he and Sora confessed their love for each other…Taichi had done what any good friend would and made gagging noises down the phone until Yamato hung up and let him sleep) 'You mum let me in… Hurry up man! What are you a Disney princess? I have something to show you!'

'Sure, Sure let me summon my animal friends with my fabulous falsetto and we'll be on our way!' Taichi then rinsed out his mouth and spat into the sink before heading back to his room to change, Yamato following him like a hyperactive puppy. 'Some privacy please….'

'Oh right…sorry!'

Ten minutes later found Taichi fully dressed and munching down some cereal while Yamato (still grinning like the Joker) buzzed next to him impatiently. Taichi shot his friend an annoyed look…it was 10am on a Sunday!

'What's got you so happy? Surely that's a sign of the apocalypse!'

'Nah…I believe that's a super happy Jou! Plus I have something to show you!'

Taichi chuckled at that 'We're terrible friends! Ughh…fine, fine I'm coming!'

He was then suddenly rushed down the stairs of the complex, struggling to keep up with a jubilant Yamato. The two friends managed to reach the parking lot in record time, Taichi nearly ploughing into his friend as Yamato abruptly stopped and spun around with a flourish, gesturing towards the object of his immense joy (his girlfriend would probably be jealous) in a manner Mimi would have been proud of.

Taichi's eyes widened 'Holy Shit! No way! You have a Vespa!'

'Cool right! It's a birthday gift from grandpere and grandmere…'

'Ahh the eccentric bikers! You lucky dog this is awesome!' That explained a lot….Yamato being the second youngest and eldest boy of his brood of blindingly blond French cousins meant those particular grandparents had a massive soft spot for him. The fact he'd recently gained a driving licence and had his seventeenth birthday providing the perfect excuse to induct Yamato into the family tradition (albeit the training wheels version). Taichi would almost be jealous of his friend if it didn't mean he could enjoy most the perks without any of the responsibility of owning such a thing (he'd crashed 3 ordinary bikes as it stood).

'Ohh lets take it for a spin! Drive past Sora's tennis practice, holler at the girls in their short swishy skirts and quickly drive away before they can crush us with their tennis rackets!'

'Dude…It's like you read my mind!' exclaimed Yamato happily.

Unfortunately their glee was interrupted in the form of a 4'10 and 38kgs of annoying little sister. 'Yeah you're right Takeru-Kun…. Your brother is over here right now and about to whisk my brother away into the sunset! ….. I know right! They're sooo married!' She spoke into the phone, brown eyes shining with mirth and camera poised in anticipation for said riding-into-the-sunset.

'Pardon me Yamato…I thought I raised her better than this. Hey Hikari… you're being rude! Can you not see this is a beautiful moment between bros!'

'Aww I'm sorry…did I ruin your budding romance? Oh…what's that Takeru-kun? Yeah Onii-chan is miffed I interrupted them!' She was about to say more before Yamato snatched the phone from her hand with an 'excuse me' ignoring the younger girl as she crossed her arms and puffed up like a little bird trying to be intimidating.

'Yo Ototo… What are you doing talking to Hikari? You're supposed to be at basketball practice!'

'Hmmp…' was Takeru's (in a wired role-reversal) grumpy reply 'It was cancelled today…I'm walking home now!'

'What…why didn't you call me! Honestly you should plan for these things…I can pick you up!'

'No thank you Nii-san, you've done enough. Plus I've known practice was cancelled all week!' well versed in his brother's moods Yamato couldn't help but knit his brows at his Takeru's tone

'What's that supposed to mean!' He shot back 'Why didn't you just tell me in the morning…honestly Takeru! Would that have been so hard?'

'I'M STILL IN MY PIJAMAS!'

Ohh shit…. He really did get carried away with his excitement. Well he was the older brother...Surely he could think of something!

Cool as a cucumber and without missing a beat, rock star Yamato Ishida turned back to the phone with a 'Whatever…Miyazaki's Howls Moving Castle movie is superior in every way to the book by some boring British lady!' and before his younger brother could even howl in outrage he hung up the phone and passed it back to a bewildered Hikari, not a single blond hair out of place.

'He'll forget all about this morning now! Taichi shall we?' and with that he swaggered over to his moped as if the entire conversation never took place.

'Here that!' Taichi said playfully, not even attempting to hide his impressed tone 'Now be gone foul creature! Leave us men to enjoy the things in life your little teeny bopper brain couldn't hope to comprehend! Toddle off now, sit on the toilet, pet the cat like a bond villain or whatever it is you do for fun and leave us be!'

'Ughh…so rude!' screeched Hikari before tossing a bright pink helmet adorned with unicorns vomiting rainbows on it 'here…mum says to wear this stupid helmet before you and your stupid face cracks itself on some pavement and die!'

'Couldn't you find me something more manly?'

'I would if you were a man!' having gained the upper hand, Hikari prepared to flounce off with her nose in the air. That was until her brother shot back 'that's right brat…I'd say go back to your ice cream but I ate it all!'

His precious baby sister yelled in horror, turning round and starting back towards him with murder in her eyes.

'Oh shit!' Taichi quickly jammed the pink helmet on his head and jumped onto the moped 'Dive Yamato! Drive! Drive as if it's Jun chasing us!'

'I'm on it!' Yamato quickly kicked the bike into gear and sped away from the Yagami family's apartment complex, only slowing down when they were a good distance way.

Taichi had calmed down a bit (after hollering with excitement as they left Hikari in the dust) before choosing to start up a conversation 'looks like we've pissed off both our younger siblings. I blame the hormones! Remember when they used to be sweet, cute and thought the sun shined out of our buttholes?'

Yamato clicked his tongue sympathetically 'Hikari still thinks that, she's just better at hiding it now days. I can relate….Takeru can be a real little shit at times! We need to remind them of their place!'

'I know right! Eating Hikari's ice cream is just one of the many tricks in my arsenal!'

Yamato bust out laughing 'I purposely mix up Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter facts! Then insist they're the same thing whenever Takeru tries to correct me!'

'You are evil incarnate!' snorted Taichi as they rounded a curve and drove over the rainbow bridge 'mad props for the Howl's moving castle thing! Your brother does disservice to both his heritages through his preoccupation with British fantasy writers!'

Yamato laughed again 'All three of my grandparents have said we should be thankful he's not obsessed with some American!'

'Racist!' Taichi playfully tapped Yamato's helmet before shrieking (in a very unmanly fashion) as it caused Yamato to swerve 'Oi you could have killed me! This beautiful mug should remain untarnished! Plus what wrong with Americans?'

'Hiroshima…Japanese internment camps…conveniently forgetting it's the French who made the Statue of Liberty… Their words not mine! Plus, I really will chuck you off this bridge if you tell Mimi I said any of that!'

'Cross my heart and hope to die… I'll take this to the grave!' Grinned Taichi, letting out an excited whoop and contented sigh at the beautiful views they drove past. 'Really? The French were responsible for the Statue of Liberty?'

'Yep…made by the same guy who designed the Eiffel tower! I personally don't really care but I'll agree with anything my grandparents say if they keep being so generous on my birthdays! Hey look we're at the school now!'

It was in fact the boy's lucky day as girls tennis practices were in full swing. Sora and the other girls rushed over to admire Yamato's new ride while the boys enjoyed peeking at their legs (Yamato at Sora's and Taichi at everyone else's) and the way they were accentuated by the uniforms swishing skirts. Practice resumed before Taichi started to cheekily wolf whistle (he may have thrown out a few comments on 'what nice forms they had') and his mother's insistence on him wearing a helmet came in handy as a tennis racket harmlessly bounced off it at the two boys sped away from womanly scorn, laughing all the while.

They then decided to stop over for ice cream and slushies, taking selfies of themselves with the bike to send to Mimi and their younger siblings (the intention was to impress the former and annoy the latter).

The two then continued to joy ride around town, going as fast as the speed limit would allow and hollering all the while before stopping at Jou's. Somehow managing to convince the older boy to squeeze in behind Taichi (Gommamon would be proud) they then took him for a spin around the area. Jou screaming how the whole thing was unsafe and how they were all going to die (Taichi may have egged Yamato on to take a few more swerves than necessary…they really were terrible friends!) before dropping the poor bloke at his home. Looking immensely greener and more frazzled than he had before the ordeal and inhaler at the ready (though they didn't really see what had him in such a tizzy…this was the guy who jumped off infinity mountain, onto a unimon's back to pull out a black gear…Jou was kind of a superhero!). Only feeling a little guilty as they watched their friend stagger inside the apartment building.

'Who's next?' Asked Yamato as he turned on the ignition.

'Koushiro-Kun I believe!'

The two then sped over to their friends place only to have him wish Yamato a belated happy birthday, have him comment on how he's happy Yamato got a gift he loved so much and no he didn't want a ride before the door was unceremoniously shut in their faces.

The two then remained in the hallway for a little while longer before turning to each other 'looks like the others texted him' mumbled Yamato disappointedly.

Taichi gave him a pat on the back 'ehh…his loss! Let's go chill at the park.'

The two of them did exactly that, laying side by side on the grass a short distance away from where they parked, sun warming their faces as they observed the clouds lazily floating by in the bright blue sky a plane flying high above them in the distance.

'Todays been good! Thanks for the ride buddy!'

'You're welcome' replied Yamato 'I'm really gonna have to make it up to Takeru though…I'll probably have to sit through the extended edition of the fellowship of the ring…'

'Ughh…that goes double for me! I live with Hikari…I'll probably buy her more ice cream and promise to clean her room for a week.' His nose wrinkled in distaste.

Yamato turned his head towards Taichi's 'We've come a long way as friends haven't we?'

'Don't get mushy on me and prove our siblings right. We're men'

'Not what I mean moron…plus we're the manliest of men! I just remember a time when I constantly wanted to punch your stupid face!'

'Well that's nice!'

'Now I don't want to anymore, we can hang out and be stupid together and not want to stock each other in the gut.'

'Aww…I luv you too Yammy-poo! If it makes you feel better….I too no longer have the immense desire to grab you by you obnoxious golden locks and repeatedly acquaint your face with my knee!'

'That was beautiful!'

'I'm a regular wordsmith!'

And with that boys broke out laughing before lapsing into a comfortable silence.

Moral of the story; the best of friendships could be wired as hell and woe betide anyone who disagrees otherwise!


	12. Seesaw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: An early merry Christmas everyone! (I just spent the morning putting up the Christmas decorations). I am here with an angsty story and warning this contains quite a few spoilers. The theme of this one shot is tied to two iconinc phrases in the poems 'Ceasefire' by Micheal Longley and 'Stopping by the woods on a snowy evening' by Robert Frost. I've attempted to tie in these themes with that of growing up in Tri and lines from Butterfly (one of the most beautiful songs in my opinion...I have nothing but gratitude and admiration towards Koji Wada...RIP my friend you are deeply missed).
> 
> I think its so interesting how in Tri the Chosen all evoke the negative aspects of their crests and the theme of growing up plays into how they find a way to balance things out. Its given rise to some wonderful character development. I've attempted to explore their feelings. However, I took a different approach to Taichi's because I already had a whole chapter for his issues, the same with Sora (I decided to borrow from 'Loss's summary for hers) and Hikari's is ambiguous because who knows what they'll do with Hikari.
> 
> Honestly this chapter was like having 8 mini stories in one (Finally I have a chapter longer than 'Climax'!)
> 
> Please review and let me know your thoughts! It really motivates me to continue to writing! Also thanks to those lovely people that take the time to review my stories.
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

SEESAW

'I get down on my knees and do what must be done  
And kiss Achilles' hand, the killer of my son.'

"Ceasefire" (Micheal Longley)

Patamon was winking in and out like a static TV as the infection once again took hold of him. The tremors rippling along his tiny body as all Takeru could do was watch his beloved partner suffer in his arms. The bite marks on his arm throbbed in sync with each wave of pain pulsing through the little Digimon, the connection between partners making their hearts beat as one. This hurt, hurt more than he could stand…you don't realise what you have until it's gone. And the feeling of his partner dying after he sacrificed himself in the battle against Devimon, the feeling of emptiness after Angemon finished disintegrating, still haunted him to this very day. Since then he'd been hyperaware of the bond between himself and Patamon and he couldn't lose him…not again…he had to protect Patamon! He had to hope things will get better.

They could! They would! No one needed to die!

'I'm the worst…' were the words he uttered to Meiko just the day before. He wasn't able to bring himself to speak and tell the others the truth and now all he could do was watch as his partner struggled not to lose his sanity. He was afraid….afraid that the others would stick to their guns and do what they had stated must be done. But he couldn't stand to lose Patamon…not again…not when he could potentially be lost forever. Tears streamed down his face and dripped onto the carpet as he once again wished he could take away Patamon's pain. But his partner was still here, he wasn't gone yet, the emptiness wasn't there….surely there was still hope right?

Takeru clutched his Partner closer to his chest and buried his face in the Digimon's soft fur, hoping to pour all the love he had in him, hoping not to lose another person he loved and he hoped beyond hope to be able to return to a time where laughter dominated tears.

Little Patamon looked up at his partner with a smile despite the pain. Sorry that his actions were once again hurting him. He didn't want to do this but he had to ask Takeru to end his life because it was the right thing to do if no cure could be found…because he'd rather die than lose who he was and his happy memories with Takeru. He wondered if he was being selfish, all he ever wanted was to be by Takeru's side.

Takeru's love and concern flowed through their bond like a multitude of butterflies flying on a glittering wind. In his partner's arms he felt safe and more importantly he could believe… even if it was just for a moment, that one day (even with his unreliable wings) he would be able to fly again with his partner smiling by his side.

….

Jikochuu…

That's what those girls had called her, that's what Koushiro had basically yelled at her and that's what Jou-Sempai had said there was nothing wrong with being but he didn't quite deny either.

Looking back at her actions, Mimi couldn't help but cringe; 'I don't like people who hold back for the sake of others…if you have something to say, then say it!'….Oh gosh, she really was self centered and annoying. In the past she'd practically enslaved a kingdom with promises she didn't intend to keep, she'd run away from the war she'd been forced into and unintentionally gotten more comrades than any of the others to bite the bullet for her.

She fought to hold back tears and prevent herself bawling in the middle of the street, those could wait till she got home. A few none the less escaped her eyes and splashed onto Palmon's petals, only to glimmer mockingly in the sunlight. Avoiding her partners concerned eyes she berated herself for being a fool. For rushing into a battle that hurt her partner and innocent bystanders, for thinking she knew what was best for everyone.

Had she not grown at all? Was there such a thing as being too sincere? Yes there was…it was called being insensitive and self centered.

I just wanted to help…I just wanted to protect the friends that gave everything to protect me!

Mimi had felt disgusted with herself many a time before but she'd never actually hated herself the way she did now. In Japan, the culture was all about family, being selfless and caring for those around you. In America it was different, the dream of rags to riches had a lot to do with the person as an individual, family and friends were to be valued but self-expression and promotion was such a cornerstone of that culture. For the first time since she retuned Mimi had never felt so isolated from the land of her birth, she was almost as alien to it as she was in the Digiworld and a massive screw up to boot!

He heart ceased up in her chest as the dam broke as she let out a sob, her tears dropping onto Palmon's concerned face, making the plant Digimon look like she was crying to. She shrugged off the concerned hand of a passerby asking is she was alright and ran home (She didn't deserve anyone's sympathy), just as she had run after snapping at Meiko and Sora.

She didn't know how to change or compromise…she didn't know what to do.

'Don't cry Mimi' Palmon's soft voice broke through her teary haze. 'You're not a Jikochuu…you're kind and passionate…your deep appreciation for the lives of others and joy always makes me feel like a flower in full bloom.'

'Palmon…'

Green fingers gently attempted to wipe away her tears 'even if you're feeling like a wilted flower Mimi….Know that I love you for you… always…'

(if only Mimi could see what she saw….her partner felt things so keenly…if only she understood how being with her made Palmon feel like a happy butterfly riding on an earnest wind..)

Mimi only cried harder in response.

….

Digimon were admittedly much simpler creatures than humans; not in intelligence but in their wants and desires.

'I want to be with you.'

Agumon knew he had blown the secret, even though they had promised not to say a word about the reboot but he'd done it anyways.

Perhaps because he loved his partner too much, because he wanted to create some happy memories to replace those where all he could do was say 'I don't know' when Taichi admitted to being afraid and unsure how to deal with the latest digital threats. It was hard for all the Digimon to watch their partners grow up and away from them and being unable to contemplate their concerns.

His partner looked at him with a mixture of concern and fear as the truth was revealed,

'Agumon…'

'Please don't tell the others…' (Because while they may not be his partner, the other Digimon were still his dear friends and he didn't want to betray their trust any more than he had already…he couldn't even contemplate the probability they may have to take out Patamon.)

He still tried to reassure his partner (with a conviction Taichi admired despite the pounding of his heart) 'It's okay…well definitely take out Meicoomon!'

He never wanted to forget Taichi… if the precious memories they shared bogged him down...then Augumon would be content to never fly again. He would do all he can to stay by the side of the partner he adored more than life itself.

Taichi on the other hand felt numb as the consequences indecisiveness and worries about the newest digital threat were both justified and revoked. Meicoomon going berserk may have proved his hesitations against fighting Alphamon correct but…his indecisiveness had the very real risk of losing Agumon in the process.

He was still afraid but the next time Meicoomon showed up, he'd be there without hesitation. If they failed and the reboot happened (by god he wished that would never be)…then he would simply have to be there to help fix the future that shouldn't have been chosen.

Because for all his doubts and ever present fears; his reasons pushing for them aside were ultimately simple.

I want to be with you too Agumon….

….

I'm a coward and I know nothing!

The thought flew through his head before he could stop it as he realised he'd just read the same passage for the third time. The words making no more sense to him than they did the first time he read them. The pages started to waver and blur together as Jou grew more and more frustrated with himself…Why couldn't he just get it! The crushing dejection he felt soon turned into frustration as he flung the book off his desk, unwilling to look at it anymore and uncaring of Gomamon's startled look. The boy squeezed his eyes shut in an effort to hold back the tears that threated to erupt from them. But the Ds and Cs on his latest report card danced before his eyes, intent on tormenting him.

He'd never felt so useless…. Or so pathetic as he scrubbed angrily at his eyes and tried to assure his partner in the steadiest possible voice that he was okay.

He wanted to be a doctor so badly…he wanted to help people. He knew his behaviours was disgustingly cowardly….he was nothing but a spineless worm and perhaps he always had been. Neurotic…particular Kido Jou…the Digidestined's resident deadbeat. The one who skipped Digimon attacks for exams….

And now he wasn't even good at that…

He bit on his knuckles in an attempt to muffle another sob that threatened to break out, almost breaking the skin in the process.

He was worthless and pathetic…he was frustrated….

He loved Gomamon and valued his friends more than anything but why did the Digital world chose to have problems now of all times?

When would it end…when would this world that always expected so much of them…took so much out of them, leave them alone? Would it only be once they were dead?

Jou's mental health hadn't been in the best of places before the infected Digimon appeared and it had now deteriorated to the cusp of depression. He was afraid, his grades where bad and the uncertainty of his future weighed heavily on his shoulders. It was this uncertainly that scared him more than any dark master ever did.

No one expected more from Jou than Jou himself and he was overworked. He wanted to do well so badly and in his depression addled mind it felt like the digital world was an obstacle to that (even though he desperately wanted to help).

The world that took more for him that in gave. An endless dream that seemed to mean he'll lose his beloved goals.

But that wasn't true…the digital world had given him Gomamon…

And that almost was enough. Except, he needed to be an adult, he wanted to help the others…he felt compelled to (which was why he considered himself such a coward) but at the end of the day, once everything was over and the day was saved, the Digimon would have to leave (just as they always did).

Then where would that leave Jou? With a bleak and mediocre future to look forward to?

Jou felt he was at a crossroads…he wanted the embrace Gomamon and with him the joys of his childhood but at the same time he needed to look ahead and think of himself.

In his hopeless state it truly felt like he couldn't have his cake and eat it. Therefore, with a sigh Jou picked up his discarded book and reread the passage for the fourth time. Ignoring the twisting of his gut and wiping his clouded glasses , the odd line of an old poem whispering through his mind as he did so;

'For I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep.'

(But to whom?)

From his place atop Jou's bed Gomamon watched his partner struggle, feeling small and helpless as he watched Jou battle a foe very different from the dark masters.

He couldn't punch whatever darkness it was that lingered in Jou's mind but he could still try right?

The seal Digimon headed to the kitchen, intent on making his partner some brain food and pausing to rub his head briefly against Jou's leg.

He always tried to make his partner laugh, even if it aggravated him too; every smile he coaxed out of his friend was more precious than a diamond and every laugh worth more than all the gold in the world.

Please don't shut me out.

….

'We and our partner Digimon are special… We're connected no matter what. At least that's what I believe.'

Now just weeks later Sora could only watch in disbelief as her partner hid from her and asked 'who are you?'

Her heart crumbled, she'd anticipated that her partner wouldn't remember her but that still didn't prevent Piyokomon's words from being unbearably painful.

Now a little further down the line it had gotten worse. What she hadn't expected was for Piyomon to reject her. She watched the other children and their partners slowly attempt to rebuild their bonds but for her; the only look in her partner's eyes was that of distrust.

She remembered back when they first ended up in the Digiworld, how it was her who was hesitant to accept Piyomon. Her disconnect with her own mother influencing her to believe she wouldn't be able to bond with such a 'mushy' Digimon. Sora felt that Freud would have had a field day with that and she also felt that karma was indeed a bitch. The tables had turned and Sora's attempt to display her love for Piyomon and attempts to bond with her were thrown back in her face.

But for the sake of what was and what could be Sora would always try. She loved Piyomon too much and never wanted to let her go.

With that the girl once again attempted to extend a hand of trust towards her partner attempting to reach her through stories of their past adventures together.

Distrustful blue eyes encountered hers and she was met with a swift rebuke.

'I don't remember these things.'

Piyomon was weary of these strange creatures from another world, the ones that claimed to know them… How could you trust what you didn't know?

Her friends on the other hand had warmed to the strangers faster than she did and the bird Digimon felt that it was almost her duty to be weary. She needed to look out for the others and who knew, they may be betrayed!

She stared at the girl's outstretched hand (She recalled her name was Sora), she had seen how almost dangerously self-sacrificing and loving the girl appeared to be but for some inexplicable reason it made her angry.

She didn't like it but rather than face the reasons as to why the Digimon chose to turn and walk away.

Sora watched her partner leave, ignoring Taichi and Yamato's concerned looks (She knew before they did they wouldn't be able to find the words to comfort her), her still outstretched hand started shaking and she uttered a broken 'please'

Piyomon didn't turn back.

….

The lighting in the office was dim with the exception of Koushiro's computer screens, making the teenager look fluorescent and sickly. There was a fire in his eyes as the boy's fingers flew across the key pad, even as his body looked ready to collapse with exhaustion, his purple shirt sticking to his boy due to the accumulation of several days' worth of sweat.

'Koushiro-han' came Tentomon's concerned voice, hesitant and almost afraid of what would result if he ended up breaking his partner's frenzied trance.

It was painful to watch him like this, sure, Koushiro could get trapped inside his head to the point of frustration when he was learning but there was generally such an earnestness and joy when he was discovering something new that Tentomon would always forgive him.

But this…watching as his partner's collar bone jutted out further each day, the way the bags under his eyes grew in proportion with his frustration and his confidence crumbled was painful. More painful than Tentomon's own salvation (if he were infected) was worth.

It was only a matter of time before the boy snapped and Tentomon wondered if now the time to speak.

However, was there any use in anticipating the worst?

The computer beeped again and again with error messages and failed results, to the point Koushiro was ready to scream. He was the bearer of the crest of Knowlage right? So why could he find a solution….the others were relying on him! If he couldn't do the brain work what use was he at all to the people he loved? If it was his desire to learn about who he was after discovering he was adopted that drove him to the computer, then it was his love of his friends and desire to be of use to them…to prevent their precious partners being infected, that kept him firmly planted to his desktop. He couldn't afford to be incompetent…not now…not ever!

God dammit…they needed answers! Everyone was upset with how he hounded Meiko for answers but didn't they see? She had important information that could potentially flip the circumstances in their favour…worrying about things as trivial as feelings weren't the priority.

But for some (he wasn't going to point any fingers) they were…So Koushiro would have to work harder for the answers.

He had to… What other options were there?

Tentomon continued to watch over his partner as a silent sentinel. For all those times he shared in Koushiro's joy of learning, he knew he'd have to also share in the pain of a fruitless search.

….

Yamato abruptly stopped playing, the harmonica in his hand feeling exceptionally heavy.

Gabumon's gentle voice broke through the haze of his thoughts 'what's wrong Yamato?'

The teenager reclined in in desk chair, tilting his head back to observe the pattern the sunset had wrought on his ceiling, the nagging itch at the back of his mind that was the bond with his jogress partner ever present.

'Taichi…' was his only response before the two companions lapsed once again into silence. Each preoccupied with their own thoughts on the matter.

Yamato wasn't sure what was going on with Taichi and that was frustrating…sure his friend had brought up some valid concerns but hadn't most of them learned the hard way that they had to fight?

So his problem with Taichi wasn't that he thought the chosen of courage was wrong…not by any means. What frustrated him was their leader's inaction….

Coming from someone who used to always be the first to charge into battle, this unnerved Yamato greatly.

It felt like such a wired role reversal of their previous dynamic and that shook Yamato greatly. He had no idea how to deal with this new Taichi.

In the past they would have duked it out but Yamato wasn't sure if that would work this time.

A pang of nostalgia shot through Yamato as he suddenly ached for the old times which all but seemed like an endless dream; even if it was a world that seemed miserable or of nothingness…there were still plenty of happy memories too.

He was once again shaken out of his trance by Gabumon's paw on his knee and soft voice 'Taichi will figure things out and I have faith you will too…'

Yamato shot his partner a grateful smile before placing the harmonica on his lips and starting to play the Digimon's favourite tune.

Yamato knew he would never standby when there was a chance of Takeru, Sora or any of the others getting hurt. He would prevent Taichi getting himself killed through his own doubts.

Because at the end of the day all they could do was what they felt must be done.

….

Tailmon was acting strange…

Hikari didn't know how to explain it as she watched her happy partner. Today had seemed like an idyllic day as the two had bonded over pictures and ice cream.

But something was wrong, Hikari knew it but she couldn't say what it was and she was afraid to ask. What right did she have when she herself always hid her feelings? (She pushed down the memory of Takeru berating her for it all those years before, he had long since apologised but they both knew he was right…)

Today had been full of so many unanswered questions; her body still ached from some unknown activity, she had a gap in her memory of several hours (it didn't help she had woken up in hospital), she didn't talk to Takeru as she intended (She was worried about him) and when she did eventually meet up with her friend after school she had ended up snapping at him for being a hypocrite in response to his concerned queries about where she had disappeared too.

Oh gosh she really was the worst and now Tailmon was acting strange too.

First Taichi…then Takeru and now Tailmon. Her three pillars of stability were crumbling and she felt incredibly unprepared to help anyone.

She had her suspicions about the afternoon; the last time she had woken up with several hours of her life missing she had been possessed by some oracle of the digital world. That didn't bode well and she didn't know if she appreciated her body being used without her permission.

The girl abruptly stopped at the beach and set her partner down on a nearby rock. The cat Digimon watched her with a mixture of curiosity and understanding, her tail swishing the way a lions would when ready to pounce.

When Hikari was troubled the sounds of waves followed her in her dreams (and sometimes when she was awake). The girl slipped off her shoes and approached the shore, stepped gingerly into the cold water. Scrunching up her toes and feeling the way the sand gathered between them.

This was foolish but she nonetheless felt very alive. The moonlight bouncing off the waves was nothing short of beautiful.

To Tailmon, Hikari looked like a goddess at that very moment; as lovely as she was lonely.

'We've come so far together haven't we Hikari-chan…'

The girls back straightened and she nodded in response,

'Please Tailmon, tell me… whats going on?'

Tailmon couldn't say she was surprised, for all people thought Hikari was close to perfect the girl had many flaws (her self-depreciating attitude often reached dangerous levels) but a lack of perceptiveness was never one of them.

'I don't know Hikari…' (This was the closest she could get to the truth, who knew what would happen when Meicoomon showed up?)

Her Partner lifted her head to stare at the full moon.

'I see…'

A single tear slid down her face and splashed into the ocean, catching the glimmering moonlight as it did so.


	13. Bonding

BONDING 

Sunlight filtered through the windows, revealing glittering dust particles in its wake and bouncing off the hair of the two teenagers in the room. This was in such a manner that their Digimon would have described their hair as being kissed by fire. The boy and the girl in question (who could easily be described as two long lost members of the Weasley clan) worked in companionable silence. The table before them littered with scraps of fabric, computer devices and various sketches concerning different Yukata designs. The silence in the room only broken by the occasional shuffle of one of the children’s Digimon partners as they examined the patterns of the fabrics and designs in question, discussing in hushed tones how creative humans could be.  
The silence between the teenagers was eventually broken by Takenouchi Sora as the girl excitedly tapped her friend on the shoulder and showed him the picture in her hand.  
‘What do you think?’  
Izumi Koushiro eyed the design with interest ‘Not bad… I think it looks pretty great actually!’  
Sora grinned in response, ‘thanks Koushiro! I think we could pair the design up with this fabric..’ The girl held up a piece of white fabric decorated with bold sky blue swirls ‘…stich it up and you’ll be good to go for the summer festival!’  
‘One minute Sora-san!’ The boy quickly held up a finger and then rapidly proceeded to type on his laptop, before triumphantly turning the screen towards his friend, an image of himself in Sora’s suggested Yukata displayed on the screen.  
‘Nice!’ was all the girl could say as she once again found herself in awe of her friend’s computer prowess. Designing a fashion based software allowing the user to see how they would look in their chosen clothes and help in designing them was no simple achievement, especially for a sixteen year old.  
A blush covered the boy’s cheeks and he ducked his head slightly ‘Hey…Sora-San, you know I usually think you have impeccable taste but the fabric doesn’t quite work for me…It makes me look like I’m trying to cosplay Sakata Gintoki.’  
Sora gave him a gentle smile and waved off his concern ‘that’s fine, what fabric do you prefer?’  
Koushiro quickly turned the computer back towards himself before glancing over the fabrics before him and fiddling around with the program. Once all the designs had been input the two teenagers quickly looked through the assorted patterns, Piyomon and Tentomon occasionally chiming in with the commentary.  
Koushiro eventually stopped once he saw the image of himself in a light green yukata pattered with black fans, turning to his companion excitedly to ask her opinion.  
‘What do you think?’  
‘hmm…’ The colour was nice but the artist in Sora couldn’t help but think about the way the green clashed with the boy’s hair (thankfully it was only slightly and was light enough that he wouldn’t look like a Christmas tree) and the pattern was somewhat unusual.  
‘What do you think Koushiro-kun?’ she asked diplomatically, purposefully ignoring Piyomon’s smug look (they had had a discussion about how Sora was a massive softy the other night…which she of course had denied).  
‘I like it…I think it’s really unique! It stands out!’ Koushiro then took note of her resigned smile ‘Do you not think so?’  
The girl let out a soft sigh, this was like Takeru and the purple fedora all over again (though thankfully nowhere near as bad), Piyomon was right she really did give into the whims of her friends easily. ‘I agree it’s… unique. Not something I’ll necessary go for but if you’re comfortable wearing it then I’m happy!’  
‘That’s good to know…Koushiro-han’s been trying his hardest to be fashionable!’ chimed in Tentomon happily.  
‘Tentomon…please don’t continue this’  
‘There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look good Koushiro,’ Sora quickly cut in upon seeing her friend’s embarrassment ‘I’m in fact super impressed at your program… you really should patent and get rich off it!’  
Earlier embarrassment forgotten Koushiro’s back straightened in pride ‘Thanks Sora! I actually have one pending, you’re the first person outside Takeru I’ve shown this to! Plus, if we’re complimenting my coding skills then we need to acknowledge your amazing drawing skills! Hey maybe you could be my programs first official user… friends discount of course!’ He added with an over-the-top wink.  
‘Koushiro that’s sweet but I’m not…’  
‘But you are!’ He interrupted her with a gesture to the strewn designs around him ‘no point in being humble about these things. You’re very talented at designing and I can see it in your eyes…you really enjoy doing this! Ever considered becoming a fashion designer?’  
Sora’s cheeks turned pink with pleasure, she’s never been so flattered in her life ‘Aww sweetie…thanks!’ She then smiled wistfully ‘though I’m not sure about designing clothes… The others might laugh and be baffled by me choosing such a girly career.’  
While the carrot top had said that in jest, her companions face turned serious ‘Who cares if that was the case? Plus there’s nothing gender specific about fashion design per se…heck plenty of the famous designers are men, just like many of the top chefs are men too!’  
Sora chuckled ‘Thanks again…. Looks like our Izumi Koushiro has no time for gender specific bullshit!’  
‘But of course…Now, seeing as we have my outfit picked out how about we try pick something for you?’ replied Koushiro with a grin as he scanned in a full body image of Sora and uploaded it on his software.  
Piyomon in the meanwhile had turned to Tentomon ‘Why does this stuff matter to humans?’  
‘Beats me’ the bug Digimon started sniffling ‘but it’s important to them and I’m so proud my Koushiro-han is all grow up and participating in human mating rituals…’  
‘Tentomon! What the hell? Please stop talking!’ cut in Koushiro (Sora couldn’t help but notice his flushed cheeks… ohh that was interesting!), he started rapidly clicking though the available designs before abruptly stopping ‘Hey Sora-san, this design makes you look really pretty!’ he continued bashfully.  
The older girl looked over his choice with interest, noting how well the Sakura-blossoms of the design went with the reddish-orange background. The girl gave her friend a genuine grin ‘I love it!’ (Looks like Koushiro could pick better clothes for his friends than himself).  
Another hour from this point passed as the two moved on to trying to make the Yukatas, the floor becoming even more littered with measuring tape and scraps of the chosen fabric as the conversation flowed naturally between the two chosen. At some point Piyomon had turned on the radio, one of the Teenage Wolves old songs flowing softly through the room as she and Tentomon leisurely sipped lemon tea and observed their partner’s antics.  
Sora observed her friend, curious about Tentomon’s earlier comments and Koushiro’s sudden interest in fashion (though she had her suspicions as to why). Knowing Koushiro might not appreciate her bombarding him with questions on something he was clearly embarrassed about immediately, the bearer of love decided to take a more roundabout route.  
‘You mentioned Takeru-kun was the first person you showed your fashion program to…I didn’t know you two where such good friends.’  
Her fellow red head raised a thick eyebrow at her (he knew perfectly well what she was trying to do… He wasn’t Mr Crest of Knowledge for nothing!) ‘I helped him set up both his Digidestined blog and the ‘Summer Camp’ one he runs with Hikari…remember you helped design the logos and T-shirts? And in turn he offered to help me learn French. We got talking…eventually landed on a discussion about which Hogwarts house we’d be in and then found out we had more in common than we realised.’  
Koushiro then paused as he remembered the most important thing ‘Also remember when I eventually told you guys that I was adopted? He and Yamato actually set up a time where I could chat with their grandfather. It wasn’t necessary but it was nice talking to someone was in the same situation as myself, even if our experiences are greatly different.’  
The smile Sora gave him in response was warm and laced with humour, ‘that’s sweet but on par of them! Remember when Daisuke came out of the closet? They actually convinced their gay uncle to call and talk to him…I detect a trend!’  
Koushiro let out an undignified snort ‘Not like they’re gonna run out of relatives anytime soon! Heck if one of you ladies decides to swear off ever having children and travel across the world singing in bars, you can give their aunt a call!’  
Sora found herself laughing so hard she had to turn off the sewing machine in fear of messing up her stitching. ‘Ohh yeah…I hear so much about their hot French cousins, I forget their Dad’s side of the family is just as interesting…’  
A random thought then struck her ‘hmm…if she is Ishida-san’s half-sister, would that make her Yamato’s half-aunt?’  
‘Quite the conundrum but I would think they’ll just refer to her as ‘auntie’’ responded her companion drily before his attention was captured by a curious Piyomon.  
‘Wait…how could she be a half an aunt? Does that mean she’s half of a person?’  
Koushiro flushed again as Sora burst out laughing (ignoring her partner’s extremely put out look) ‘What! No!’  
‘Then what does it mean?’ piped up Tentomon.  
‘It’s…complicated…’  
‘Nevermind!’ Piyomon had thrown her pick wings in the air, ‘Let’s go check the internet for the answer…’ she then dragged Tentomon away towards Sora’s family computer with a huff.  
The bug Digimon turned back with a shrug as he followed his friend ‘She has a point…I’m still waiting for the answer about that wired game you all played a couple of weeks ago!’  
Koushiro turned back to Sora as the Digimon were out of sight ‘am I the only one that hears the ‘Jaws’ soundtrack playing?’  
Sora gave a dismissive wave of her hand ‘aww let them learn!’ before happily retuning to stitching one of the yukata’s sleeves. Koushiro then returned to calculating the amount of material he would have to order for Sora’s outfit, feeling her eyes return to him as he placed the order.  
‘Can I help you?’  
The girl gave a started jump, almost banging her knee on the underside of the desk. ‘Sorry Koushiro, I’m just curious…’  
‘About why I’m suddenly interested in fashion? I’m sure you know that answer already…’ was his good natured reply.  
Sora propped her elbows on the desk and tucked her chin into her hands eager to take advantage of her friend’s obliging mood. Deciding the conversation required a lighter tone, Sora opted for her best Sherlock Homes impression.  
‘Well….this may just be my crest of love instincts ‘a-tingling’ but if I had to guess… Could it perhaps have to do with a lady?’  
Her grin widened as Koushiro’s blush grew steadily deeper, ‘Hmm…If I were to venture further into this hypothesis…would it be a girl we know perchance? Indeed, the particular shade of green you’ve chosen seems significant….would it relate to a certain bearer of the crest of since…’  
‘Alright! Alright! I like Mimi! Please stop with the Sherlock impression!’ Koushiro hid his face in his hands before murmuring ‘Am I that transparent?’  
‘Aww sucks…I thought I was doing a great job!’ Sora chuckled before her smile turned gentle ‘So you have a thing for Mimi. That’s…’  
‘Awful!’ Koushiro quickly interrupted her.  
Sora blinked in confusion ‘Why? What’s wrong with Mimi?’  
Noticing his friend’s proverbial protective hackles raise, Koushiro was quick to try rectify the situation ‘Nothing! Nothing! It’s me I’m ashamed of!’  
‘Why?’  
The boy scratched the back of his head nervously ‘Well… I think Mimi is pretty cool, I admire her energy and tenacity but well… with this crush all I can think about is how uhh…well-proportioned she is so to speak and her body is all I notice! Which isn’t right because she’s my friend and I respect her but ohmygosh Sora…if only you know the things I’m thinking at night! You wouldn’t want to be my friend…and I’ve not been like this around a girl before and…’  
Sora quickly crossed the room to give him a good shake ‘Alright…buddy…please calm down. You’re rambling!’  
She waited till the younger teenager had done so before continuing ‘So, while I’m not sure how much I appreciate you only noticing Mimi’s…assets… I also would a hypocrite if I said you were a terrible person for doing so.’  
‘You also look at Mimi’s assets Sora-san?’  
Now was the girls’ turn to turn beet red ‘No! Get your head out of the gutter…I swear Taichi has corrupted you! No, what I meant was that you won’t be the first or last guy to notice a girl for their body. I’m not advocating it’s okay for you to only notice a woman for those but its hormones which everyone experiences! Heck, I’ve had moments where I’ve admired a good male physique without a thought to their personality and maybe had a fantasy or two concerning Yamato majestically riding Garurumon shirtless on a beach….’  
Koushiro burst out laughing ‘Are you serious? I can’t stop imagining it now! That’s the most ridiculous thing…’  
‘Oh really Mr ‘if only you knew the things I think at night’…You of all people are gonna judge me?’  
The younger teenager immediately stopped laughing ‘Hell no Ma’m! Wouldn’t ever dream of such a thing ’  
‘Damm right you shouldn’t!’ The girl huffed.  
Once his friend was significantly placated he sighed ‘Other than objectifying my friend…that’s not the only reason I’m weary of my crush.’  
A small pang of happiness warmed Sora’s belly as she realised Koushiro was choosing to confide in her ‘You can tell me, I promise my lips are sealed!’ (She made a zipping motion as she did so).  
‘Well…I just think about the two of us together and it makes no sense. Like, I know opposites attract and all but I could never see us working as a couple…What would we talk about? What would we do together? We having nothing in common outside mutual friends and the digital world, plus whenever we’re alone together for more than fifteen minutes we argue about something or the other! Takeru and Hikari even had to break up one after I woke up to find she stacked books on my head after the second Diaboromon saga.’  
‘I feel there’s more…’  
‘Your’re right… I also compare our relationship to others; for example, she has a lot more chemistry and actually gets along with people significantly different to her like Jou and Meiko. So, not only do I like someone I’m not sure I’d be able to have a successful relationship with but I also probably don’t stand much of a chance to begin with!’  
Sora gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze, resisting the urge to shake him again ‘Alright, breath…You’ve really done a lot of thinking.’  
Koushiro gave a hysterical laugh at that.  
‘But I think your being too clinical about this, emotions aren’t rational…. Yes a lot of your points makes logical sense and there may be a high chance what relationship you have will fail…but if you like her wouldn’t you want to bank on the small chance you would succeed? I mean, who knows…you could both learn a lot from each other and like being challenged. This could be a good thing! You have the crest of knowledge right? Wouldn’t you rather learn about how you could work?’  
‘You raise pretty valid points,’  
‘Exactly! Plus don’t ever say you’re not good enough or I will slap you! Any woman would be lucky to have you. Also your chances aren’t that terrible…Jou’s got a girlfriend and Meiko is most likely straight…bi-curious at most. So the competition is taken care of!’ She grinned at him in a reassuring manner.  
‘Thanks Sora, My qualms haven’t exactly been cast aside but I feel much better talking to you about it…. Speaking of crests,’ The boy gave his friend a cautious look before continuing ‘What’s up with you and Yamato? Are you still dating?’  
Sora quickly diverted her eyes from his, her smile dropping slightly.  
Noticing her actions Koushiro was quick to try make amends ‘We don’t have to talk about this, I’m sorry! Forget I said anything!’  
‘No, it’s only fair. Plus, it’s complicated… We’re still in love but school and other commitments have dragged us apart a bit.’ Sora examined the stitching on Yukata before her thoughtfully ‘I think we both came to an unspoken agreement to focus on ourselves for now and with all that’s been going on lately, it works.’  
‘I see…but are you happy with it Sora-san?’ Koushiro queried the concern in his voice for his friend evident.  
‘I am for now,’ The teenager let out a loud sigh before heavily falling into her chair, Koushiro doing the same as he sat cross legged on the floor and fiddled with spools of fabric before him.  
‘We’re hopeless aren’t we?’  
A genuine laugh escaped Sora’s lips ‘At least we’re not alone!’  
The two shared a secretive smile, feeling closer to the other than they had before.  
The sweet moment was however broken by a disgusted cry from Tentomon and Piyomon’s incredulous shout.  
‘Why would humans do that to each other and enjoy it!!’  
Koushiro had to stop himself laughing at the horrified look on Sora’s face.  
‘What was that I said about the Jaw’s music?’  
‘Oh shut up!’


	14. Pendant

PENDANT

His phone was ringing.  
Kido Jou dashed across the room to retrieve it, tripping over Gomamon’s pillow on the floor as he did so. The teenager bit back a curse (and tried to suppress the acute pain of sadness that rang through his gangly body) as he picked himself of the floor and reached for his phone. He glanced over at his calendar as he did so, noting that he had planned an outing with Mimi in a couple of hours.  
Speak of the devil…  
‘Moshi moshi, Mimi-Kun.’  
‘Ahh…Jou-sempai! How are you?’ Came his friend’s soft voice, her usual exuberance painfully subdued (not that he could blame her).  
Jou found himself glancing at the empty cushion on the floor, the aching emptiness in his chest intensifying.  
It had been a week since the Digidestined had lost their partners to the reboot. The wounds were still fresh, raw and constantly rubbed in salt every day. Each chosen had dealt with it in their own way. Jou had hit the books as his mocks approached with increased intensity, the boost of confidence from achieving a mega evolution and his bond with Gomamon had actually seen a raise in Jou’s grades.   
A few weeks ago that would have been a dream come true but now…  
‘I’m coping….’  
The line was silent for a while before Mimi responded, he voice full of understanding ‘I’m just about holding on myself.’ The line once again grew silent before his friend decided to continue her conversation. Her voice uncharacteristically hesitant (Jou once again felt as pang of pain shoot through him, she shouldn’t be hurting as much as she was…none of them should) ‘I…was.. wondering, if you were still interested in going shopping today? I know we planned this before… but… what I mean to say is…’  
‘You could use a distraction and a friend right now right? So could I…’  
What Jou couldn’t see was the small genuine smile that crossed Mimi’s face as she took a seat on a bench; no one quite understood her way Jou did.  
‘So I guess I’ll see you around one then. Do you want to meet at the entrance to Aqua City?’  
‘Sounds like a plan, I’ll head over there after I’m done helping around Koushiro’s office.’  
Jou found himself smiling at his friend’s more upbeat attitude ‘It’s your shift ay… Try leave some healthy food for him and be sure to let me know how he’s doing.’  
Mimi found herself laughing ‘You’re such a dad Jou-Sempai! I swear you and Sora are in competition over who can parent the most!’  
‘Is that really a competition though?’   
‘Only the most cutthroat competition in the whole of Japan!’  
The older teenager rolled his eyes (despite the fact Mimi couldn’t see it) but found himself chuckling ‘I see you in two hours Mimi-kun,’ he then paused before adding as an afterthought ‘You know, It’s quite ironic… I was just about to call and ask you about today earlier.’  
‘I wouldn’t expect anything less of you Jou-sempai’ was Mimi’s quick response before the two bid each other good bye and hung up.   
Jou left his phone on his desk before wondering over to pick up Gomamon’s pillow, softly running his fingers over the fabric as he did so.   
His eyes wondered over the group photograph on his desk. He missed his partner terribly and thought about the reboot everyday but for the first time in a while he felt a trill of excitement. It really was possible to feel some happiness even in the darkest of times; perhaps what they said about silver linings was true.   
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
Tachikawa Mimi sent a quick text to Meiko complaining about the sudden rain storm as she waited for Jou. The girl walked as close to entrance as she dared, eager to avoid the spray of rain but even more eager to spot her friend.   
The teenager tapped her foot impatiently; it was almost ten minutes past their planned meeting time!  
Geeze…It’s not like we’re shopping for MY one year anniversary!  
Not that she was really annoyed...Jou never had the best of luck with public transportation (though that wouldn’t stop her pretending to be a little annoyed). She luckily didn’t have to wait much longer as she spotted a lanky figure rushing towards her through the pelting rain. Umbrella held in one hand as her friend walked as fast as he could, his other hand holding his rain specked glasses on his face and carrier bag swinging widely.   
The utter Jou-ness of the picture didn’t fail to bring a smile to Mimi’s face. It was comforting to know that Jou could remain Jou even when everything felt like it was falling apart.   
‘Sorry I’m late! The traffic was terrible!’   
Jou then proceed to shake the rain off his umbrella, retract it and place it in a plastic cover before putting it in his bag. He wiped off his glasses and placed them on his face only to meet Mimi’s amused eyes.  
‘What?’  
‘Nothing Jou-sempai! Just…never change okay!’ She then grabbed him by the elbow and pulled him towards the jewellery section ‘you said you wanted to get your girlfriend something special didn’t you?’  
Jou followed her obligingly, letting her odd comment drop, it was probably better for his health that he didn’t attempt to figure out the inner workings of Mimi’s mind today.   
The duo stopped before the window display of the nearest store, Jou was dazzled by the display but couldn’t help but wince at the price tags of a few of them. The teenager had been saving up for something special but nevertheless had a budget to maintain.  
He shot a nervous look at his companion; he and Mimi had very different ideas of what constituted a reasonable bargain.   
He hesitatingly informed Mimi of what his price range was, mentally kicking himself for underestimating how much a nice piece of jewellery cost. Gosh, he was already a failure of a boyfriend!   
Mimi on the other hand seemed unphased ‘No problem Jou! I don’t just know how to pick them, I know how to pick them at a good price!’ She then turned back to the display, the determination in her eyes revealing to Jou that she was taking this as a personal challenge. ‘Knowing you, you have some more money saved for something nice on the day itself… want me to give you pointers on how to woo a lady?’ She picked up a delicate ring adorned with a single pretty garnet, turning it over in her hands and examining it with all the finesse of a master jewellery maker.  
‘Well… I was thinking of taking her to a nice restaurant.’   
‘Common Jou-Sempai, what does she like? You can take her to a nice restaurant any day! One year is a big mile-stone, do something special!’  
‘Good point,’ Jou started racking his brain for things to do ‘She likes long bike rides, theme parks, we both like Japanese Edo-era dramas and ocean views… hmm, what can I do with those?’ he wondered out loud.  
‘Lots of interesting stuff’ Mimi chimed in ‘But I know for a fact that you hate theme parks and can ironically get sea sick.’ She gave her friend a thoughtful once over ‘She must be really special if you considering something along those lines.’  
A goofy love-struck smile crossed her companion’s face ‘she is…’  
Mimi squealed and gripped his elbows in excitement ‘then it’s settled! I’m coming over later to help you plan the perfect anniversary date! Who knows, you may even get lucky!’  
Jou turned redder than a fire engine ‘Mimi!’ he squealed in protest.  
‘Hey, you were there when we played the hentai game! Plus, I will not rest on this. I, Tachikawa Mimi will not sleep until I have become the best wing woman of all time…You’ll have no choice but to grant me the best man position!’   
‘Best lady,’  
‘Pardon’   
‘You’re a classy woman and a classy woman such as yourself doesn’t deserve anything less than being called the best lady.’  
The smile she gave him in response was brighter than any of the glittering gems in the room.  
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………  
An hour passed from that point as Mimi pulled Jou from shop to shop the way an excited child would a helium balloon. Both chosen’s spirits the highest they had been since the reboot. Shopping for the perfect gift however proved difficult, while Mimi had presented to him many a pretty item in his price range, nothing seemed quite right. The two teenagers had just approached the last jewellery counter in the centre, Mimi bending over the counter to examine the sparkling crystals before her, her shorts riding up slightly to expose more of her legs. It was then that Jou felt unwanted eyes on them (or more accurately Mimi’s behind) from a group of boys around their age nearby, without even having to think about it Jou stepped into their line of sight and effectively blocked Mimi from view.   
Mimi looked away from the display to give Jou a questioning look as his shadow loomed over her. Before Jou could reply about how we was attempting to valiantly shield her from the prying eyes of perverts a bulky arm separated the two of them (quite rudely shoving him back) and its owner relaxed against the counter, a smug smile on his handsome face.  
‘Well hello there beautiful, what’s your name?’  
The girl before him however didn’t swoon as expected; instead she levelled him with an uninterested look and replied in her most monotone voice.  
‘My name is No.’  
‘Wait wha..’ stuttered the boy (clearly unused to such outright rejections) before what he thought was a dashing (but came across as sleezy) look crossed his face ‘Aww don’t be like that babe. I just want to be friends.’  
‘My apologies then…my real name is ‘Not a chance in hell!’ Now if you excuse me, I’m spending quality time with my actual friend here.’ The girl then pushed past him and grabbed Jou by the hand to pull him further down the counter, her suitor too stunned to even protest or follow her.   
It was now Mimi’s turn to look up at her friends amused eyes ‘What?’  
Jou chuckled ‘I don’t know why I’m surprised. I’m with the girl who had poop shot towards her face by a Garbagemon’s bazooka, wherein she simply caught it and threw it back. You can quite frankly handle yourself!’  
Mimi gave him a cheeky smirk in response ‘You’re not so bad yourself. Takeru loves to boast about how you saved him twice during our first adventure…it’s why Hikari calls him a princess. You’ve got some moves yourself!’  
‘What can I say… looks like I’m the Digidestined’s certified badarse,’ was Jou’s sarcastic response as his eyes wondered over the display before landing on a single pendant.  
Ohh  
Noticing her friend’s abrupt silence, Mimi followed Jou’s line of sight to see what had captured his attention. Her eye’s landing on a seemingly simple pendant shaped like a seal joyfully swimming through the ocean, a single sparkling crystal for its eyes and delicately engraved.   
Her heart skipped a beat and she turned to her friend with concern in her eyes.   
‘Jou…’   
‘I’m…I’m okay…’ her friend sniffed as he removed his glasses and hid his eyes in the crook of his arm ‘…it’s perfect…’   
He then proceeded to start softly crying.  
Mimi quickly embraced her friend as a concerned shop assistant rushed over to ask what’s wrong.   
‘He’s…alright….that pendant just…reminds us so much…’ Mimi squeezed her friend tighter as she tried to push images of Palmon and all the other Digimon out of her mind. Not sure why she was blurting all this out to a stranger ‘…of some friends we loved very much…but recently lost…’  
And then she started bawling too, the poor shop assistant looking close to bursting into tears herself as she stared at the two crying teenagers.   
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
They ended up buying the Seal pendant after they had both calmed down. The relived shop assistant had even given them a discount (after a quick chat with the manager) and wrapped the gift herself, giving both their hands a comforting pat as she received tearful thankyous in response (honestly her kindness had just made them cry harder).   
The two friends had then decided to sit in the nearest tea room, letting the soothing liquid calm their nerves.   
It was Jou who decided to speak first, breaking Mimi out of her reverie.  
‘Thank you for helping me today.’  
She gave him a soft smile in response ‘It wasn’t a problem. You’ve done a lot more for me in the past.’  
Both of them sighed before returning to nursing their respective cups of tea.   
‘I can’t believe we started bawling like that.’  
Jou’s eyes were still red ‘I know, it was like the dam burst but I also couldn’t help but think how happy it would have made Gomamon to know I bought a present in his likeliness… Would have really stoked his ego! Honestly the happy memories are what helped me pull myself together.’  
Mimi lent back further in her chair ‘Same here…I could hear Palmon’s voice in my head asking me not to cry.’  
Jou gently set his cup on the table before resting his elbows on it, a fond smile on his face ‘Gomamon would probably tease me about all the effort I’m going through, while plotting to tell my girlfriend all the embarrassing stories about me.’  
Mimi found herself laughing ‘Palmon would be the one making sure he didn’t go too far.’  
The two lapsed into silence, the atmosphere lighter than it had been before. Mimi found herself observing her friend, finding the young man before her both very different yet very similar to the boy she had first met at summer camp all those years before. By all means two people as different as them should have never been friends but here they were buying jewellery for his one year anniversary (Mimi knew before asking that this was a really serious relationship for Jou, he wouldn’t go through all this effort If it wasn’t…she quickly squashed down what felt like jealously) and embarrassing themselves together in public.  
Honestly, Jou’s genuine admission that he’d give her the best man position if he got married helped make the ache left behind by Palmon a little more bearable.   
He was honestly her closest friend, she remembered a particular incident from two years ago when she had her first summer fling. Much to her surprise it had been with a girl named Holly, who made her laugh, accepted her unquestionably and was fine with the fact she liked to kiss boys too. After the summer was over and she had said goodbye to Holly at the airport, watching the girl go with promises to keep in contact both knew they wouldn’t keep and an array of confused feelings, the first thing she had done was call Jou (and not Sora as most people would expect).  
‘Jou-Sempai… I know I like boys.’ Was the first thing she had said once he picked up.  
‘Ugh…that’s nice to know.’  
‘That’s not all…I also think I like girls.’  
‘Oh...’ the line was silent for a while (and Mimi had held her breath and tried to calm the pounding of her heat) before his laughing voice rang from the phone ‘So do I… like girls I mean, though I don’t think I bat for boys team as well if you get my drift!’   
And that was all the affirmation she needed to admit things to herself and explore what it meant more freely.   
The conversation had now switched to love lives as Jou recounted how he met the current love of his life. Mimi gave him an apprising look before deciding to admit to him something she had never admitted to anyone else.   
‘Jou-Sempai, can I tell you something? I just hope you don’t think less of me.’  
He raised his eyebrows curiously in response ‘Sure...’  
‘I slept with Micheal before I came to Japan.’ She blurted out, her face turned red and she immediately avoided his eyes. When he didn’t respond she decided to continue, her eyes still turned towards the ceiling.  
‘It was just that everyone in my grade in America were trying it and talking about how good sex was and Micheal and I were together at that point…and we both knew I was leaving, and my parents were out one night and it just happened…’  
‘I see…’ was her companion’s response before she felt a comforting hand on her knee, she met his concerned eyes (but was that a hint of anger in there?).  
‘He didn’t force you into this did he?’  
‘What…No! I just didn’t enjoy as much as I thought I would. It was nice but it didn’t feel right and I think he felt the same… I just expected to feel more….I just needed to tell someone this, please don’t think less of me…I can’t believe I gave into social pressure like that! I know it’s part of the reason why I’ve been even more bullish than usual since returning to Japan.’  
He gave her knee another pat and gave her a reassuring smile ‘I would never do that. You’re not perfect and the times are different. Just because it wasn’t what you thought it was the first time doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be the second. Plus…’ a blush now adorned his cheeks ‘I can’t claim to be completely innocent myself.’  
Mimi almost jumped out of her chair in surprise, the 100watt smile returning to her face. ‘Ohmygosh! Kido Jou you dog! You have to tell me how it happened!’  
The boy turned even redder in response but gave into her prodding (as he always did).  
‘Well I was round at her place after the festival and I was telling her about Leomon and Vikemon. She was comforting me about the former and then somehow we progressed to kissing…’  
Mimi was on the edge of her seat ‘And…’  
‘We stopped because he parents have this creepy collection of owl figurines and it felt like they were judging us…’  
A surprised look crossed Mimi’s face before she burst out laughing ‘only you Jou-Sempai…Only you…’  
Her companion looked slightly offended despite the good humour in his eyes ‘hey, they were really creepy okay! Anyways, we just… uh ... moved it to her room. She even had condoms in her drawer and something about that…’  
Mimi was close to tears ‘make you hotter than a wolf in heat?’  
Jou snorted into his tea (she was glad he only opened up to her like this) ‘that’s one way of putting it! I think I annoyed the hell out of Koushiro when I went to check on him the next day…I’d never felt so happy.’   
The two then paid and stood to leave the tea room before Jou randomly dashed towards the closest flower shop.   
He then returned with a single pink hyacinth for Mimi ‘A thank you for being such a good friend.’   
Mimi inhaled the flower’s sweet smell, peering at him through her lashes as the overwhelming feeling of having lost something before it ever had a chance to begin rushed through her.   
This feeling however was easy to push aside, she was more happy and grateful to him than anything.   
‘This girl better not break your heart.’  
Jou’s response however was cut off by the sound of a whistle that only the two of them could hear.   
‘Was that…’ Jou started to ask in confusion before meeting Mimi’s eyes and a silent conversation filled with understanding passed between the two of them.   
The sound of the whistle cut through the air once again and the two started running towards it without hesitation.   
It seemed the whistle that had first sent them home was now calling them back.


	15. Cosplay

COSPLAY

A figure hobbled towards the door of an old friend. His back was bowed, a grey wizards hat perched precariously on his messy equally grey head, grey robes (sense a theme?) trailing across the floor and a ragged wooden staff clutched in one hand. Chewing on an old wooden pipe that hung between his lips, he reached towards the door and firmly knocked. The door swung open a few minutes later to reveal another robed figure, an equally pointy hat secured to her brown locks and a pair of glasses sternly balanced on the bridge of her nose. She wore an unimpressed look on her face and her robes were a mix of emerald green and velvety black, regal and well maintained in a stark contrast to her companion’s seemingly travel worn attire. Said companion had now straightened up to his full height, both hands firmly clasped around his staff and an amused twinkle in his blue eyes (despite the surprised look that briefly crossed his face).  
‘Well if it isn’t Minerva McGonagall. How fortuitous that we have met for I am looking for someone to share in an adventure!’  
‘McGonagall’ however didn’t seem to share his good humour.   
‘Wait a second…Gandalf the Grey! I thought you were coming as Dumbledore Takeru!’   
‘Gandalf’s’ smile dropped slightly as he casually propped his chin atop the staff ‘ I said I was coming as the wise old kickass grandpa from the godfather of all fantasy books… why would I be Dumbledore?’  
He examined his friend’s on point McGonagall cosplay and suppressed a smile at her stern expression, she could give Dame Maggie Smith a run for her money.   
Hikari remained immune to his good humour, the girl unfolded her arms with a long suffering sigh (potentially indicating this wasn’t a one off incident between the two friends).  
‘You know I’m more of a hard core Potter head than you! I assumed you would be Dumbledore… I was looking forward to recreating the opening scene of the philosopher’s stone!’  
‘Aww I’m sorry Hikari-Chan.’ was Takeru’s genuine response ‘We can still recreate the opening scene if you want…get Taichi to play Hagrid courtesy of the 100% success rate puppy dog eyes of doom and use the cat as baby Harry!’  
The younger boy then adjusted his hat (a nervous habit) as he gauged his friend’s mood, his usual impish smile returning once he deemed her in a sufficiently good mood before he spoke a second time.  
‘Plus in my defence; when you said you were cosplaying a stern and particular brunette I assumed I was coming across a hobbit… well that was silly of me, that would have happened regardless!’  
‘Oi…that’s some bloody cheek from the human Ent!’ and with that he was playfully punched in the arm (Hikari was stronger than she looked). The two friends then looked each other over before bursting out laughing.  
‘Ready to go Professor?’   
‘But of course!’ Hikari then turned to shut the door before gesturing down the hall ‘After you Mithrandir.’  
‘Nice…someone’s been reading up on her Middle Earth lore!’   
Hikari shook her head fondly and examined his costume from head to toe as she and Takeru fell into step with each other, the action felt as natural as breathing.   
‘Impressive cosplay by the way, I almost didn’t recognise you at first! Sora-san’s handiwork I’m guessing?’   
‘Yep! Though Koushiro helped find me the wig and staff online. You look awesome by the way. I’m guessing Sora helped you with your costume to.’  
‘She’s so talented isn’t she? We should get her something from this event as a thank you.’ Hikari then pulled out a wand hidden in her sleeve and playfully poked Takeru’s side with an excited grin.  
‘Can you believe we’re finally going to WizardCon! I have my camera charged for it and as much spare change as is safe to carry!’  
Her fellow chosen chucked in agreement ‘I know right! I’m even looking forward to the strange looks we’ll get from people on the train!’  
‘We won’t be the only ones Takeru.’  
‘Even better then! First we shall find our people and then we shall have them join our cause of world domination!’   
Hikari smirked at that ‘Indeed the world will soon bow before our fandom might!’   
The elevator signalled they had ended up on the ground floor with a ‘ding’, Takeru cheerfully waving at a wide eyed child (who quickly hid behind his mother’s skirt) who was staring at them.   
Hikari once again playfully nudged him ‘Takeru you monster, stop scaring little children!’  
‘Hey stop with the domestic violence Hikari…I’m nothing but a friendly face exuding openness and warmth…you on the other hand are a nefarious witch with detention granting and house-point docking powers. He’s probably cowering in fear from you!’  
Hikari made a dismissive motion with her hands, she was well practiced in the art of throwing Takeru’s shade back in his face (she knew he loved a good verbal jousting). ‘Good, you should take notes then’   
The two’s banter was however interrupted in the form of Tweedledum and Tweedledumber (aka. Their older brothers) as the two decided today was the day to fulfil their brotherly duties in laughing at their little siblings in all their dorky glory (It was their responsibility to prepare them for the harsh realities of life after all and that includes the fact people will more often laugh at you than with you).  
‘Pftt…Look at these nerds Taichi! Can you believe they’re related to us?’ Came the laughing voice of Yamato Ishida as he casually leaned against his moped, looking ridiculously good for someone awake rather early on a Saturday, his windblown hair perfectly styled despite him having just taken his helmet off. Taichi stood next to him armed with a disposable pair of chopsticks and microwavable noodles. The other boy quickly slurped his noodles before pointing at his younger sister and surrogate younger brother with his chopsticks and laughing at them.   
‘You both look ridiculous!’   
Takeru and Hikari’s responses were cut off by a group of sniggering passerbys. ‘Nice costumes nerds!’ one of them jeered.   
Taichi and Yamato’s hackles raised; only they (and occasionally the other older chosen) had the right to make fun of Takeru and Hikari!  
‘Hey those are our younger siblings and they look awesome!’ Yelled Taichi with a shake of his fist.  
‘Exactly you jobless creatures! Go back to whatever cave you came from… I’ll have you know they and my girlfriend put a lot of effort into those costumes and I have nothing short of admiration for them! Disagree and you can talk to our fists!’   
‘Oh god why!’ said Takeru as he face palmed, knowing full well the extent both older brothers would go to defend their sibling’s honour.   
Hikari on the other hand wasn’t in the mood for her brothers antics. ‘Onii-chan please don’t! Same for you Yamato-san! Behave please; you’re supposed to be the ones setting us a good example.’   
‘Exactly Nii-san! Our minds are impressionable and ripe for corruption. Do you really want that on your conscious?’ Takeru chimed in meeting his brother’s ice blue eyes. The older boy snorted before muttering something about ‘kids these days lack gratitude’ before seemingly letting the matter drop. Taichi on the other hand was still itching for a fight (even though the passerbys had left) only dropping the matter when his sister threatened to tell Sora. This however didn’t stop both brothers from insisting on accompanying the duo to the train station in fear that their pointy hats (which made them stick out like sour thumbs) would attract more bullies. Takeru and Hikari however, weren’t so grateful (they had more digital world experience than their brothers did now and didn’t appreciate being treated like children) resulting in the trek to the station and subsequent train journey taking place in annoyed silence.  
This atmosphere was however broken as the group approached WizardCon itself, the convention hall filled with a multitude of cosplayers, exciting stalls and merchandise. Taichi (a long-time fan of Star Wars) eyes lit up with delight and surprise when he saw the numerous Jedi cosplayers. He quickly turned towards Takeru (his sister was busy taking pictures) looking like a little kid on Christmas.   
‘Holy shit, I didn’t think they would have Star Wars here!’  
Takeru raised a blond eyebrow ‘Well WizardCon is an ode to the fantasy genre more generally and Star Wars is technically more fantasy in its themes than Sci-fi… I mean the Jedi are basically space wizards! So I guess anything goes…wait a minute, you were the one that told me this! Why are you so surprised?’  
‘Because I didn’t think that was the mainstream perception.’ Replied Taichi with a happy sigh before squeeling and dragging his sister towards a Chewbacca cosplayer to get a photo.   
Takeru watched them go until his brother tapped him on the shoulder ‘Looks like there’s a ton of Howl’s moving castle fans this year!’  
Knowing where this was headed and ready to fight his brother on this (This had been recurring and very passionate debate between the two from the moment they watched the movie) Takeru smirked at his brother ‘Nice try but the book is better!’  
‘Gonna have to disagree with you there squirt. The movie is a masterpiece and its Miyazaki for god’s sake!’  
‘It’s no ‘Spirited Away’ Nii-san, I mean it lost to the ‘Shaun the sheep’ movie for best animated picture of the year for Petes sake! Plus how can you say the movie is better than the book when you haven’t even read it?’   
‘Tell that to the rotten tomatoes reviews squirt, it’s an epic visual master piece! Plus I don’t need to read the book to know which one I prefer! Who doesn’t like a good war story?’  
‘It’s more style than substance!’ Takeru shot back ‘It squanders away the source material and takes little from the books. I love Miyazaki’s other works but he missed the mark on this one. I bet you’re afraid to read the book because you’re worried you might like it more.’  
Yamato shook his head at his brother’s sly smirk ‘In your dreams kiddo.’ He responded with a laugh as he watched Taichi drag his disgruntled sister back towards them.  
‘Yo Taichi seeing as you’ve had multiple fangasms, I say we stick around. I can get one of those Howl capes and you can get a Jedi cloak.’  
‘Hell Yeah!’ was Taichi’s enthusiastic reply as the two headed towards the concession stand without a second look at their siblings.   
Hikari watched them go with a slightly put out look ‘Why do I feel their intruding and stealing our day together.’  
Her companion looked at her surprised ‘They kind of are, I guess we really got it stuck into our heads that it would just be the two of us. Doesn’t help they were laughing at us about this only hours before. I’m a bit surprised your so grumpy about this, usually you’ll be the one telling me to let the others join in and every moment together is precious and so on and so forth.’   
‘Still it’s a little hypocritical of them but if they intend to do their own thing that’s fine.’ The girl quickly shook her head before turning towards him with a smile ‘Let’s still have fun together okay! I still need the picture of the two of us.’ She said as she pulled out her camera, turned the lense towards them and snapped a picture.   
The two then spent some time wondering happily around the convention, taking pictures, having their pictures taken, chatting with fellow attendees and fanboying over the available merchandise/promotional materials. This happy mood lasted however till they bumped into their brothers.   
Both older boys were decked out in their sought after robes and holding what appeared to be cups of Butterbeer and ‘blue milk.’ Yamato eyed them sternly before speaking.  
‘Why didn’t you two wait for us? That was rude.’   
Taichi nodded in agreement before taking a swing of his drink ‘Exactly the four of us don’t get to hang out that often and this place is pretty cool! We got to play the upcoming Final Fantasy game.’  
Hikari’s frown deepened as she glared up at the two older boys ‘We’re the rude ones? It was you two who butted into our day! We bought are tickets in advance so why should we wait an hour for you two to leave the queue?’  
‘Exactly! ’ Takeru was quick to back up his friend ‘Sorry if we hurt all three of your feelings but you both know we’ve been looking forward to this all week, you were even making fun of us for attending this event this morning and now you find it cool and expect us to spend time with you? Forgive us for being annoyed.’  
Taichi let out a frustrated groan ‘Well we were going to apologise but you left before we got the chance.’ (He was honestly surprised they were both getting so worked up over this)   
‘You guys walked away from us first! The only reason your here is because of some stupid protective urges Onii-Chan. News-flash we can look after ourselves!’ countered Hikari.  
Yamato rolled his eyes ‘Well forgive us for caring. Neither of you exactly leapt to defend yourselves this morning either…Honestly your both acting like self-entitled brats.’   
‘That’s something you both would know very well’ Takeru snapped back at his brother.   
The argument would have escalated further if not for the presence of a lady in what could only be described as a ‘slutty Morgana’ costume.   
‘Greetings friends, I couldn’t help but notice there seems to be a rather heated discussion over here. How about settling things through WizardCon’s Grand Fantasy Quest? You just need teams of two and there’s a pretty sweet prize at the end of it to boot!’ The attendant chirped happily, shooting Yamato and Taichi a flirty wink.   
‘What do you say?’   
The four chosen looked at each other for a brief moment before looking back at the woman.  
‘Yes’ they chorused in a unison (if there really was one thing to rule them all and in the darkness bind them in this instance; it was a good case of sibling rivalry).  
‘Morgana’ blinked in surprise before the smile was back on her face. ‘Well then hurry over to the World of Warcraft booth over there. We’re only taking in the first ten teams to show up, not the best system but…’  
She would have said more but her audience had already rushed over to the booth. Thankfully spending a good portion of your childhood running away from murderous/rampaging Digimon meant that they were the last four people who managed to get into the event (they may or may not have shoved some other attendees out of the way…).   
Takeru turned to his brother with a grin as they caught their breath and waited for the organisers of the event to speak to them.  
‘Hey Nii-san, let’s have a personal wager here and settle our Howl’s Moving Castle debate; If Hikari and I win you guys have to admit you’re wrong. Plus you have to read the book and admit it if you think it’s better!’  
Yamato laughed and playfully swatted his brother’s hat (when you came from a broken family and didn’t see each other all that often you tended to let petty arguments go quite quickly. He knew the attendant’s interruption had mostly dissipated and whatever real malice between them was mostly being set aside for the upcoming ‘Quest’)   
‘In your dreams little brother! But I’ll take you up on that challenge. In fact if Taichi and I win; you have to admit to being a brat and everything you like about Miyazaki’s movie, including what you thought it did better than the book.’  
‘You’ll record the whole thing won’t you?’  
‘Of course and you can record me if you win.’   
The older brother then held out his hand, Takeru looked at it for a few moments before firmly grasping it with his own and shaking on it. However, while the Takaishida brothers were up for a good old gentleman’s match, the Yagami siblings were ready for a full blown battle. It was a little known fact to all but the Digidestined that the usually ultra-close Yagami siblings were also ultra-competitive.   
‘Loose this quest Onii-chan and not only do you have to admit you’re a hypocrite but you also have to be my slave for the day.’ Asserted the younger Yagami as she pointed her wand in Taichi’s face.   
Her brother simply smirked and moved the offending object away with a finger ‘Bitch please! I hope you enjoy losing cause I foresee you giving me foot rubs after soccer practice.’   
The younger girl snorted ‘Yeah right, what do you know about fantasy outside Star Wars? Prepare to get acquainted with the cat’s litter box!’   
Their companions could only sweatdrop as the two glared daggers at each other. Only ceasing to do so once the attendant came over and asked them to fill out some forms with a team name and granting permission to be filmed. While Hikari and Takeru took the opportunity to ask if they could use some clips for their ‘summer camp’ blog (the sponsors agreed on the basis it would help advertise the event) Yamato and Taichi took the opportunity discuss a team name before deciding that only one was perfect.   
‘Team Omegamon’ was what they told the event’s host with the utmost pride. The host on the other hand looked uninterested as he took their forms and handed them blue badges with the name printed across them in silver a few minutes later. Takeru and Hikari received similar treatment as they were handed red badges (only theirs had ‘Team Hat& Whistle’ printed in gold).   
The host then ascended the podium and called for their attention, the excitement in the crowd palpable.   
‘Welcome contestants to the first annual WizardCon fantasy quest! The rules are simple, there are ten teams of two. We have provided each of them a map of the convention and a speaker. During the quest you will have to solve a series of riddles, each will lead you to a different part of the convention and so on. We’ve tried to keep the riddles to those tales most people would know but as we don’t expect you to know everything you can click the button on your speaker a total of three times and an attendant will assist you. The game ends when all the riddles have been solved by the first team who get to claim the prize at the finish line as well as two tickets to a premier of their choice!’ The speaker then paused to let the information sink in.   
‘We also have a little something for those of you unable to take part in the quest, audience members can place a small wager on the team they feel is the most likely to win until all the teams have completed their first three tasks. In return those that guessed the winning team will get a voucher to shop at the stores of one of our many sponsors!’   
Excited chatter broke out and some members of the audience cheered. Takeru was bouncing excitedly in his seat a contrast to Hikari who sat there composed with a determined look in her eyes. Taichi in the meanwhile was rubbing his hands together in anticipation while Yamato did his best to look cool and unaffected (to be fair he was succeeding… Tsundere indeed! Though one could make the argument that bright lights and screaming crows was ‘but for him a Tuesday’).  
The speaker laughed before checking his notes to see if he missed anything ‘Oh yes before I forget…keep it as clean a game as possible guys! No seriously mauling each other or disturbing other attendees at this event please. Alright, before we start are there any questions?’ He waited a few moments before he realised none were forthcoming he continued with a smile as he gestured to a table of treasure boxes below him ‘Well in that case let the games begin! Your first puzzle is in these boxes, good luck guys! We hope you have fun.’   
‘Go, go, go!’ yelled Hikari as she practically shoved Takeru from his seat once the buzzer sounded. The boy was quick to comply with a ‘yes ma’am’ well aware how competitive his best friend could be. He quickly dashed towards the table but was beaten by Taichi who quickly grabbled the box (taking advantage of his longer legs and the fact that most of the other contestants weren’t in the best of shape) and hurried back to the table he shared with Yamato. The two quickly opened the box to see that there was a literal puzzle inside.   
Yamato snorted as the pieces were set out on the table. ‘Takeru’s going to appreciate this’ he said just as his brother released a delighted laugh on realising the first challenge was pun (and Hikari shushed him and told him to get his head in the game). The older blond smirked at his companion ‘what Takeru isn’t going to appreciate is the fact I’m awesome at puzzles.’  
Team Omegamon was quickly able to piece together the puzzle but stopped in confusion at the completed image. This showcased what was clearly a stall selling fantasy themed hats they had to go too but that was not what confused them. There was also writing above the image the words ‘Sophie was the eldest of three which meant she was doomed to poor prospects.’   
‘Wait what?’ Taichi scratched his head as Yamato furrowed his brows the name ‘Sophie’ rung a bell. Noting they had a lead, Taichi turned to Yamato ‘I’m not a fan of having to use this on the first round but we might need to ask for help on this one, we can probably out run the others any way and Hikari would trip over her dress.’  
They were interrupted by Takeru’s triumphant yell of as he and Hikari completed the puzzle and he saw that it had something to do with hats (he also had a smug look on his face as he recognised the quote).  
‘My time has come!’ he said with a grin as he quickly consulted the map and located the store displayed in the picture.   
‘Yeah! Yeah! Now let’s move it Gandalf.’ And with that Hikari impatiently dragged her companion away only stopping to briefly blow her brother a kiss as she and Takeru (who smugly waved at his brother) hurried away.   
The older Digidestined sat in stunned silence for a moment before their competitive streak came back with a vengeance. Screw the other contestants as far as they were concerned their only competition was their siblings!   
Taichi quickly consulted the map ‘common Yamato we’re not losing to those runts!’   
Yamato then gasped in realisation ‘Wait…might not need our first life line! Sophie is a character from Howls moving castle and I know my brother’s smug look…that was a quote from the book!’   
The two then bolted.  
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………  
The game had just started but Takeru was already having the time of his life as they wove through the crowd as fast as they can. They were neck to neck with another team (cosplaying as Kiki and her cat Jiji) until the one of the members accidentally tripped allowing them to pull ahead.   
Hikari actually crackled with glee ‘Haha…suck on that Kiki! Team Hat& Whistle for the win!’  
Takeru couldn’t help but laugh ‘Who the hell are you and what have you done with Yagami Hikari?’  
Contrary to what many people who think, Takeru actually found ultra-competitive Hikari a delight to (occasionally) observe. She was usually so controlled in whatever she did that it was a ton of fun to see her cut loose and allow the passion in her eyes to burn.   
But he would be lying if he also didn’t admit she could be somewhat terrifying….  
‘Enough chit chat Princess… you said you had an idea about the first clue.’  
He grinned at her in response ‘This clue was made for me… haha Yamato refused to read the book and now it’s gonna bite him the arse!’ He then held onto her wrist as they approached the designated hat stall, a Cheshire cat grin on his face.   
‘See in the universe of the book the eldest child is doomed to never amount to much. Therefore Sophie as the eldest of three is left stuck in her stepmother’s hat shop while her sisters go onto more exciting things. And book Sophie has an interesting talent of speaking life into things. Her speciality being…’ His eyes wondered over the shelves before he let out a victorious whoop. He triumphantly picked up a bonnet (which looked out of place between the sorting hat and a stormtooper helmet) and carefully slid out one of the envelopes hidden beneath it.  
‘…hats like these!’ he grinned victoriously as he carefully replaced the bonnet and the two retreated to a quieter section of the store.   
Hikari was impressed, the first clue wasn’t an easy one, it was clear that the sponsors (despite their assertions) were trying to get the contestants to use up their life lines as fast as possible.   
‘Takaishi Takeru you are a beautiful human being!’ she said before quickly snatching the envelope from him ‘Now no time to dawdle! My brother has some kitty litter to clean and yours has a book to read!’   
He was lucky the fake beard he was wearing prevented her from noticing the blush covering his cheeks, not that she would have looked up from the clue she was reading, as she dragged him away from the store to where the next riddle was. The Kiki and Jiji cosplayers (who had evidently picked themselves off the floor) however did and gave him a pitying look as he was towed away.   
‘Talk about whipped!’ one of them muttered (Takeru would have very well asked them if they meant cream but he had a quest to win).   
Yamato and Taichi reached the hat stall not five minutes after their siblings had left. They unfortunately had to use their first lifeline to learn about the significance of book Sophie’s relationship with hats but were saved from actually having to look for the hat on account of the fact the (rather dusty looking) team before them had left the bonnet askew, clearly revealing a bunch of yellow envelopes.   
Yamato grabbed one and replaced the hat carefully (wouldn’t want the other teams to lack a challenge) before he and Taichi read it, grins spreading across their faces.   
‘Thank god for Skype sessions with Mimi!’ exclaimed Taichi as he consulted the map on where to go next.  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
‘What was the riddle again?’   
Hikari spared him a brief glance backwards as the two headed towards the next exhibit.  
‘Oh sorry about that Takeru-kun. It said to ‘’take a trip down the yellow brick road and find the alternate telling in the now broadway show. Seek the one, be he a star or a cameo, for whom courage is sought.’’’   
‘So that’s the Wizard of Oz obviously, I know the story roughly but haven’t really read the books or seen the movie. Have you?’   
Hikari groaned as they reached their destination; which in fact had a yellow brick road leading to several stores and exhibits. A song about flying high and defying gravity was blaring loudly over the speakers; proving quite distracting and difficult to hear over.   
‘Nope… This is frustrating. It’s clearly Wizard of Oz related but has more to do with an alternate telling… in a Broadway show? That’s more likely to be a thing in the west…I swear the organisers are trying to make everyone exhaust their lifelines and we don’t even know how many tasks there are!’  
Her brows furrowed and she pouted slightly (Takeru noted she looked rather cute despite himself) ‘I feel the main thing we need to look for is staring us in the face… the one we seek looks for courage so…’  
‘That would be the lion…’ Takeru cut in surveying the area as he thoughtfully stroked his beard, there were several exhibits depicting various scenes from what he assumed was both the movie and the ‘Broadway show’ he stopped once he saw a sign out of the corner of his eye.  
‘Wicked!’  
Hikari blinked ‘Pardon’  
‘Wicked is the name of the show… I think Mimi’s a huge fan of it because she mentioned it when she sent me a copy of the book as a gift. But the lion could be in any scene and I haven’t read the book to know which one…’   
‘I think we need to call in one of our life lines Takeru and not waste more time…’   
While Team Hat& Whistle were in frantic conversation and using the first of their life lines, they failed to notice Team Omegamon approach the exhibits from the opposite direction.   
Taichi however noticed them and motioned for Yamato to be quiet as they approached the required exhibit. Countless gushing rants from Mimi about the Broadway hit meant he and Yamato had retained enough information to know that the cowardly lion did in fact make an appearance in one scene of the play but as a club.   
It was Yamato who spotted what they were looking for on the corner of a classroom exhibit between the two towering figures of Elphaba and Doctor Dillamond. He approached the cage carefully and slid the next clue out from underneath the cub’s paw before retreating as quickly as possible to his impatient friend’s side some distance away.   
‘Aniki?’   
He grinned smugly at his brother as Taichi chimed in with a ‘hey brats’ as the two looked annoyed (no doubt at having more or less wasted a life line) and rushed over to the required exhibit neck and neck with another team, with a few others following closely behind.  
The smug grins on their faces disappeared as soon as they saw what the clue was; a single line with the words ‘Riddles in the dark’ printed across the card.  
Yamato had a brief flashback of his mother reading him and Takeru stories before the divorce. He shook his head in a futile effort to chase away feelings of sadness those times brought up and tried to remember what the book was and where that phrase came from. Both of which unfortunately eluded him.   
‘What kind of clue is this? It gives away nothing!’ Grumbled Taichi. Suddenly in a rare moment of clarity (despite his competitiveness) he turned to address Yamato.   
‘Do you think we bit off more than we can chew agreeing to take our siblings on in a scavenger hunt we know not a whole lot about? I mean they’re fantasy buffs!’   
They then noticed their siblings a short distance away glance briefly at the clue before tearing off in a random direction, another team hot on their heels.   
The two Jogress partners shared a grin.  
‘Never mind then’ Said Taichi.  
Yamato gave an enthusiastic nod of agreement.  
‘Let’s follow those nerds!’   
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
The next clue had actually related to an exhibit Takeru and Hikari had visited earlier in the day and one which Hikari had pictures of Takeru firmly worshiping and proclaiming his love to. ‘Riddles in the dark’ of course relating to the fifth chapter of the Hobbit; where Bilbo Baggins and Gollum had their famous riddle showdown and Bilbo obtains the one ring. The Hobbit was a book Takeru had fond memories of his mother reading to him and his brother, he even still had the old copy she read from. It was worn and well thumbed through and was the book that got him into reading Lord of the Rings and fantasy more generally.   
The two approached what was actually a large mural depicting the scene in a comic book style. They checked the edges around the picture but were surprised to not find a single envelope. They stood there confused for a moment. As far as they were concerned they couldn’t have got it wrong, they could see a few other teams, including their brothers (who had obviously followed them here) and this was the only Hobbit (as opposed to Lord of the Rings) related exhibit.   
That confusion stopped as soon as Hikari noticed Taichi pointing at the picture itself. This depicted Bilbo uttering the riddle ‘A box without hinges, Key or lid. Yet golden treasure inside is hid.’   
She was quick to point this out to her teammate. ‘Takeru, what’s the answer to this?’   
His eyes lit in recognition as he remembered the events of the chapter ‘an egg.’   
Of course, knowing the answer was an egg was one thing, figuring out what to do with that information was another. A quick scan over the other teams revealing they weren’t the only ones reaching for their speakers (this was the same over at team Omegamon, where Taichi’s affinity for food meant he quite quickly figured out the riddle).   
‘Hello’ blared an uninterested voice from the speaker in Takeru’s hand.   
‘Um...Hey, we just figured out the answer to the third riddle is ‘Egg’ but we’re clueless as to what means for the next task…’ started Takeru.  
‘That fine. I can help you on the next task but that would mean you’ve used the second of your lifelines. Are you happy with that team Hat&Whistle?’ the ‘helper’ interrupted.   
Hikari leaned into Takeru’s shoulder (momentarily distracting him when he caught a faint whiff lavender and sage… what was up with him today?) to chime in ‘Well we don’t really have a choice right now so we want to go ahead.’   
‘Great…’ responded the Helper (still as enthusiastic as ever) ‘… okay what’s the main plot of the Hobbit?’  
‘To reclaim Erebor from the dragon Smaug.’ Takeru answers swiftly.  
‘Very good and how are dragons usually depicted as being born?’  
‘Hatching from eggs.’ Hikari responded while giving Takeru a shrug and look that clearly read ‘What the hell kind of logic is this?’   
‘Right so if you look around the area where the poster is what do you see?’  
It was Takeru who spotted it, a booth stood opposite the poster they had been looking at. A westerner who looked like Santa Clause listened attentively to a woman who could only be his translator. Above his booth was a banner reading ‘A Feast for crows’ and off to the side of his booth was a modal of a baby dragon surrounded by the scattered remnants of an egg, another fully intact dragons egg was also by his side.   
Takeru could have slapped himself in the forehead, the logic seemed twisted but at the same time the answer was literally right in front of them. They even visited that particular booth earlier in the day (Like with many a fantasy series he was a fan of that one).   
They hastily thanked their helper and launched themselves towards the booth, along with about half the other teams, unfortunately landing them second just behind Yamato and Taichi. It was then a bit of a waiting game from there but they finally reached the front of the queue.   
On the seeing the badges the two wore the author was quick to smile and started to hand them over a small red dragon’s egg. He said something to the woman besides him and she was quick to translate.   
‘He wishes you good luck and thinks that your cosplays are awesome.’ She paraphrased.   
Takeru was so excited he momentarily forgot about the quest. ‘Did you hear that Hikari! He thinks we look awesome!’  
He then proceeded to bow excitedly, thank the author and shower praises on his work (while Hikari impatiently waited for him and valiantly fought to keep an amused grin off her face). The older man chuckled and signed the egg before handing it to Takeru. Both of them bowed politely and Hikari laughingly pulled her best friend away from the both as he squeed in excitement. Honestly was this really the boy a good portion of the girls in their grade had the hots for?   
Hi happiness in this instance was nevertheless infectious and Hikari found herself excitedly examining the given egg, letting out a yell of delight as she pressed a button on its top. This caused the ‘egg’ to open and reveal a piece of paper on the inside (she may or may not have fangirled over how similar that was to the golden egg in The Goblet of Fire).  
Her grin widened to the point it rivalled Takeru’s as she read the next clue. If the first was made for Takeru, then this one was practically created with her in mind.   
‘Prone I may be to croaking and jumping out of windows  
A favourite treat from the trolley I may be.  
What lays inside you may collect,  
The way you would Pokemon.  
What am I?’   
She looked at her companion who grinned in understanding. They both knew where they needed to go.  
They still had a competition to win…  
Yamato and Taichi had observed the whole interaction, allowing it to momentarily distract them from proceeding to the next clue.   
Honestly seeing both their younger siblings almost innocently happy and excited was something rare (especially when they know they both suffered from nightmares that were an unfortunate side effect of being a chosen) and for the first time that day both felt somewhat guilty for intruding.   
Yamato nudged Taichi.  
‘Come on…’  
Taichi nodded, the determination back in his eyes was almost as strong as it was before a big match.  
They still had a competition to win…  
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………  
The next few riddles were rather smooth sailing from that point though all the contestants were closing in on each other.   
As mentioned earlier the last riddle was perfect for Hikari; combing her love of Harry Potter and sweet things. Team Hat& Whistle had rushed over as fast as they could to the food court which in fact had its own ‘Honeydukes.’ It was a simple matter of finding a chocolate frog packet and buying it. The attendant behind the counter handing them their next clue.   
This one was right up Taichi’s ally.   
‘I am a twin, a politician, a rebel.  
I am no man for unlike the men in my family,   
Despite the pain and loss I have suffered  
I was never tempted to turn.  
Though I sadly may be better known  
For my hair and gold bikini.’  
This led both Team Omegamon and Team Hat& Whistle to the Star Wars section of the convention, where they had to locate the correct Princess Leia cosplayer working at the booths (it was the one in the white dress and iconic hair buns with a blaster on her hip and not the one in a gold bikini which distracted many a male contestant) who then handed them the next clue.   
‘My realm is the type of place people like to ski,   
For it is off the snow queen I am based and   
Like Medusa I can turn those who oppose me to stone   
But unlike her my beauty is free for you to behold.’  
This caused team Omegamon to lose their lead slightly as they were forced to use the last of their lifelines to figure it out. Team Hat& Whistle on the other hand, well acquainted with the story (they couldn’t claim to be fantasy buffs otherwise), simply had to consult the map and hurry over to the ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ exhibit. Where they found the next clue in a box labelled ‘Turkish Delights’ placed on the bench in the Snow Queen’s carriage.   
It read as follows;  
‘Congratulations, I am your penultimate clue!  
For years I, Merlin, stood by this man’s side from the pivotal moment he stopped being a boy and became a king.’   
This clue proved to be a surprisingly kind one as there was only one Arthurian related exhibit at WizardCon that year. One where convention goers could (for a small fee) pull out the legendary sword Excalibur (or the model of it) from the stone. The fact that Teams had to wait in queues also gave some of the slower teams a chance to catch up.   
It was here Takeru and Hikari could be found, the latter nervously biting the head off a chocolate frog while the former took note of their brothers and most of the other teams impatiently waiting in one of the queues behind them. Thankfully the lines were moving somewhat quickly and they actually got the chance to locate their next clue when they pulled the sword from the stone and saw it engraved along the blade;  
‘Speak friend and enter.’   
Brown eyes met blue, both filled with a spark of recognition.   
‘The Mines of Moria exhibit?’ queried Hikari in an excited whisper.   
Takeru nodded a grin slowly spreading on his face ‘let’s go!’  
They left as quickly as possible, followed closely by their brothers (who had sat through enough Lord of the Rings movies with them to get that reference).   
From then on it was utter chaos as those contestants who were waiting in line decided to just follow those who had left.   
A key thing to remember while imagining this scenario is this; while the organisers of the event told contestants not to maim each other and try not to disturb the other attendees (not causing property damage was also strongly implied). There really were no other rules. Meaning sabotage, some roughing up and accidental trip ups were on the table. So as one could image there were elbows flying, weird short cuts taken and the occasional drink ‘accidentally’ sloshed in someone’s face.   
As the contestants got closer to the final destination the hall way narrowed and Takeru suddenly felt someone yank him backwards. Strong arms suddenly caught him and propelled him forwards telling him to ‘run like you have a Monochromon hot on your ass!’ and Hikari grabbed his hand to pull him forward.   
That voice much to his surprise belonged to Taichi. They would later learn in the interim between the fourth riddle and this one that their brothers had had a change of heart. Honestly on seeing their younger siblings earnest joy during the event (and somewhat freaked out at Hikari’s manic competitiveness) they felt a little guilty for earlier and like the Grinch, their hearts grew three sizes that day.   
They honestly couldn’t deny their younger siblings this victory, not when this was the first time in a while they got to be regular teenagers (albeit nerdy ones at that). It also didn’t help that potentially seeing their siblings get maimed by a horde of rabid fanboys stirred up their protective instincts.  
Sometimes Hikari and Takeru were right when they felt they didn’t deserve the level of devotion they got from their brothers.   
Back in the action; Taichi, Hikari and Takeru were momentarily distracted by a flash of blond hair in their peripheral vision.   
Rock star Ishida Yamato had dramatically thrown himself in front of the other contestants. Arm’s spread wide the teenager let out a dramatic shout.  
‘YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!!’   
Takeru found himself turning round despite the heat of the moment to yell ‘No Aniki!’ (and thinking despite himself ‘wait I’m the one cosplaying Gandalf…shouldn’t that be my line?’)  
He and Hikari were however once again pushed forward by Taichi and prevented from helping the older blond as the other contestants got over their shock and started to try get through him.   
‘Fly you fools!’ yelled the leader of the Digidestined as he pushed the younger two forward and heroically dived back into the hoard to aid his best friend’s efforts.   
With no choice but to honour their brothers wishes the team Hat& Whistle valiantly continued.   
The end was in sight; a goofy little Merlin figure with the words ‘WizardCon’s Fantasy quest winners 2005’ and holding a one ring and time turner in each hand.   
The sight of if down that narrow passage really got the adrenalin pumping.   
That was all Hikari saw until she suddenly tripped on the hem of her dress, ripping it and nearly acquainting her face with the floor. She was however saved in the nick of time by Takeru catching her and giving her a boost up the stairs   
The momentum unfortunately caused Takeru to fall forward himself and he found himself grabbing onto both sides of the passage way (which had narrowed to the point it only admitted one person) to steady himself. Resulting in him to ending up on the bottom of a dog pile as the other contestants crashed into him like something out of a Tom& Jerry cartoon.   
Hikari in the meanwhile stumbled up the stairs, feeling lightheaded from all the running around in a heavy costume. She ended up stumbling into the podium and falling, grabbing the trophy as she did so.  
It was as lay on her back gasping for breath and trophy clutched firmly in her arms that she saw the faces of her fellow (and equally battered) Digidestined loom over her concerned a few minutes later.  
Takeru leaned over her with his trademark grin   
‘I guess we won.’  
Hikari laughed delightedly in response.   
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………  
‘I can’t believe you helped us!’   
Yamato shot his brother an amused look and look the opportunity to swipe his grey hat (as Taichi did the same for Hikari) and pop it on his head.   
‘It’s no big deal squirt…We realized you guys were right to be annoyed and this is our way of making it up to you.’  
‘But we were being battier than necessary…’  
Taichi waved away his concerns ‘No big deal… fighting over stupid things is a normal part of siblinghood!’  
The four of them then plopped themselves down on the steps outside the convention with a contented sigh. The cool air was a refreshing contrast to the hot halls. They took a moment to observe the multitude of cosplayers milling around and breathed in the fresh sent of spring.   
Hikari turned to Yamato and Taichi with a smile ‘We’re still really grateful though! You guys should take the premier tickets it’s only fair.’   
Takeru nodded enthusiastically in agreement before moving to take of his wig and beard (they were making him sweaty). Hikari in the meanwhile had plonked herself between Taichi and Yamato and was showing them the pictures she had taken throughout the day. He happened to look up as a sun hit her at a particular angle, lighting up her features as she fangirled over the different pictures and explained the different camera techniques used.   
Haha! Look at that Dork.   
Was the fond thought that flew through his head as he gazed at her. His heart started beating at a mile a minute and a goofy grin crossed his face. That was until she looked back at him with a grin causing him to instinctively look at his feet, his smile disappearing as he came to a realisation.  
Oh no…oh no no no no no!  
Like many of the riddles presented to him throughout the day Takeru came to the realisation that the answer for something he’d been feeling for a while was staring him right in the face. This girl before him, whom he had gone through life and death with from the age of eight, was the one he was falling for.   
The thought was oddly freeing.   
He looked up at her again; she was sweaty, her hair was a mess, there was dirt on her nose and a slight smear of chocolate near her mouth. She was snorting at something or the other one of the older boys had said and her eyes were alight with the light she was so famed for.   
Takeru thought she looked positively beautiful.   
‘Hey Keru you’ve been rather quiet!’ Hikari interrupted him from his thoughts and shoved the camera in his face. Giddily leaning against his side as she did so.   
‘Check out these candid photos I got of you!’   
He looked at her more than the photos, the odd thought running through his head.   
Who is the focus of your heart?  
Though considering how much fun he was having today, he was content not to have an answer for a little while.   
While Hikari remained oblivious in her glee and Takeru contemplative, their brothers watched the whole spectacle, understanding a good deal more than either of them what was happening.   
‘Taichi’  
‘Hmm…’  
‘We should keep out of this…’  
Taichi turned to Yamato with a serious nod ‘I agree but he’d better watch out if he hurts her!’  
The blond chewed his lip before adding ‘Fair enough but if she breaks his heart, I have permission to break your face.’  
‘I wouldn’t have it any other way.’   
The two best friends lapsed into silence which was eventually broken by Takeru insisting on getting a group photo.  
As Hikari held the hard won trophy aloft and the boys gathered behind her all four teenagers had the same thought.  
I hope we all remain good friends, no matter what happens.   
The camera flash then went off. Capturing the moment forever.


	16. Roots

http://www.lovemydress.net/blog/2013/10/wedding-readings-love-is-a-temporary-madness-from-captain-corellis-mandolin.html

ROOTS

Those that truly love have roots  
that grow towards each other underground, and, when all the pretty  
blossoms have fallen from their branches, they find that they are one  
tree and not two.  
Louis de Bernieres

Tokyo Big Site cast shadows over the immediate area in the dull orange light of sunset. Carrying with it the melancholy feel of a day wasted. The space was silent and otherwise almost devoid of life, a huge contrast to just an hour prior, where a large column of light ascended to the heavens and disappeared along with eight teenagers.   
Mochizuki Meiko felt like laughing bitterly at the pathetic fallacy (or some other poetic device Takeru-Kun liked to harp about) of her immediate surroundings as she fell to her knees trembling, all the energy she possessed leaking out of her body the way air would from a balloon.  
She was too late.  
She chocked back a sob as her eyes filled with tears but refused to let any of them fall. All she’d done was cry lately, cry for her lost partner, cry for lying to her new friends and to herself. But when the opportunity to reunite with her partner came up, she said no and chose to feel sorry for herself. The seventeen year old girl dug her fingers into her knees hard enough to bruise and bit her lip as another tremor ran through her body. Only stopping to pull out her black digivice from her pocket and fight back memories of fire and destruction.   
‘Mai-chan…’   
It had been just her and Meicoomon for years. She had been so excited to be accepted into a group with partners like hers, veterans who had saved two worlds, perhaps she and Meicoomon could be something great. But from the moment her partner murdered Leomon she had realised what a fool she was. She had always been nothing short of ordinary and she was woefully unprepared for what being a Chosen entailed. She wanted out but her love for Meicoomon and Sora’s kindness kept her running back to the Digidestined (she so hated being alone). Now when the chance to be reunited with her partner had been dangled in front of her face and she had just swatted away.  
She was such a fool!   
A warm hand was laid comfortingly on her shoulder, breaking her out of her thoughts as she met a pair of brown eyes the same shade as her own. Nishijima Daigo looked like he was about to speak to her until he heard the sound of heels clicking against the pavement. The two looked towards the source of the sound only to see Himekawa Maki emerge from the shadows and stop a short distance away from them, a hand on her hip and her expression unreadable.   
‘What took you so long? ’  
Was the curt greeting of the older woman as she surveyed the two before her. Meiko hung her head in shame and Daigo’s hand tightened on her shoulder as he glared at his former girlfriend.   
‘Maki…’ he growled in warning.  
Brown eyes met green and a silent battle of wills passed between them. Maki turned away first unwilling to confront the distrust and anger simmering in the eyes in of her long-time friend. The woman swiftly turned on her heel to stalk away.   
Honestly, whatever impending fight was brewing wasn’t worth it. She had other places to be.   
‘Hime-Chan wait!’  
She ceased walking to turn her head slightly towards the speaker, indicating she was listening.   
‘There has to be another way. Surely you know of one!’ Meiko cried in desperation, her fingers tightening around the back digivice in her hand. If anyone knew of one it had to be Himekawa, she had helped her transition into Odaiba, surely she’ll help her now!  
Maki sighed before looking away. ‘The power of all the crests was required to open the gate, even if you had a crest Mochizuki-chan you wouldn’t be able to go through on your own. I’m sorry but you’ll have to deal with the consequences of your actions.’ (Maki would never get over how easy it was for lies to roll of her lounge)   
She ignored the girl’s repeated stutters of ‘no’ and started to walk away. She’d wasted enough time as it was.   
Daigo clenched his fists in anger but chose to remain silent as he barely recognised the women he had known since childhood. He instead chose to kneel down besides the distraught Meiko and wrap a comforting arm around her shoulders, whispering reassurances that they’ll find another way.   
His eyes never looked away from Maki’s retreating back.  
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………  
Meiko couldn’t quite remember the first time she met Nishijima Daigo. But that was to be expected she supposed, considering he was her second cousin.   
She was honestly surprised none of her new friends had noticed the family resemblance.   
Their fathers had been close as children and that extended to adulthood as they made the effort to have their families get together at least once a year. Though more often than not it was the Nishijimas visiting the Mochizukis.   
Meiko always looked forward to those get-togethers. Her childhood in the sparsely populated precinct of Tottori was a lonely one, with the closest neighbours over an hour’s walk away and her father barely home. And though she and the Nishijima siblings could not really be considered super close (Considering the ten and thirteen year age gap between them) she always waited anxiously on the front porch for their arrival. Jumping up to drag the ever patient Daigo and his older sister Sango to go on an ‘expedition’ though the woods. It might have seemed a little out of character but the Nishijima’s were an easy group of people to open up to (reasons she supposed why its youngest member would be stationed undercover at a school years later).   
She remembered a particular instance when she was seven. Daigo had given her a piggy back through the woods and the two had sat in front of the TV watching Dragon Ball Z afterwards. The older boy sitting on the floor and relaxing against the couch while Meiko (seated upon the couch itself) placed ribbons and sparkly clips in his hair, only half paying attention to what was happening on screen.   
‘I feel sorry for Chi-Chi.’  
Her cousin gave her a curious look ‘And why is that?’  
The little girl’s brows scrunched up as she worked out her answer ‘Well she’s only yelling that much because she loves her husband and son. She doesn’t want Goku to leave her and she wants what’s best for Gohan. And even though Goku always calls her silly and leaves, she stills waits for him and takes him back. How can you not feel sorry for her?’ (Though truth be told the real reason the scene before her struck a chord was because they reminded her of her own parents…)   
Daigo found himself impressed at the child’s logic ‘I guess I never really thought of it that way. Goku is a noble character but he does have his own selfish reasons for wanting to fight and leave home. But perhaps that’s why he can be a compelling hero.’  
‘But how can he be a hero if he’s selfish? I thought heroes are supposed to be better than normal people?’  
Her companion gulped (he didn’t expect to have a deep discussion with a seven year old) ‘Well in real life heroes are normal, imperfect but good people who push themselves to do extraordinary things. I guess we couldn’t identify with them if they didn’t have the flaws we did and show us how we can overcome those flaws.’   
‘So even could the two of us be heroes someday?’ the younger girl pressed on as she pulled back his fringe with a hallo kitty clip.   
The teenager winced as it dug into his scalp ‘eh… I don’t see why not Bean Sprout.’   
They were interrupted by a laugh as his sister appeared in the door way ‘You guys are getting way to philosophical over a kids anime…though it doesn’t surprise me, considering you have the same mentality.’   
‘Go toss yourself into a lake Sango!’ was the response of her ever loving baby brother.   
The older girl ignored him, taking a seat next to Meiko and braiding the little girl’s hair. She looked over at her little brother with a smirk. ‘Good job Meiko. Daigo-kun looks really pretty, Maki-chan is sure to fall for him now.’   
The younger girl beamed with pride while her brother blushed, glared and professed how much he hated her.   
When the Nishijima’s left a few hours later, Daigo looked back at his little cousin, who was sadly waving to them while she shyly clutched at her mother’s skirt.   
‘I feel so sorry for her, she seems so lonely.’ He whispered to his sister as they departed ‘I sincerely hope she makes a friend.’   
(It turned out she would years later).   
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
Meiko would never forget the day she met her Mei-Chan. To this day she had no idea how Meicoomon had appeared but she had never really questioned it. The forest had called to her and the minute the orange kitty was in her arms and the strange device in her hand she didn’t question it…because questioning where her other half came from was unnecessary.   
Meicoomon was hers and she was Meicoomon’s and at eleven years old that was all she needed to know.   
She wasn’t stupid, she knew Mei-chan was one of those creatures on TV, the ones that attacked Odaiba (Her mind flashed briefly to the Nishijima family who had lived through the midst of the attack, she hadn’t seen them in a while but she was glad they were okay). But the feline Digimon seemed so gentle; she was clearly one of the good ones.   
It was so nice to have a friend. Papa was interested in Meicoomon and spent more time at home and this made Mama happier too (Papa also said that Meicoomon was a special Digimon and while she wasn’t sure what he meant she was confident it was a good thing, her father knew everything after all!). Honestly Mei-chan was a miracle and Meiko had never been happier. Her partner adored her as much as she adored her partner, they played and did nearly everything together.   
The only problem was that Meicoomon had a habit of wondering off and whenever she did bad things happened. Meiko remembered one particular night when the curious Digimon had ran across the road leading from the Mochizuki estate chasing a firefly despite young Meiko’s calls to be careful. What happened next Meiko would recall in slow motion as a drunk driver barrelled down the road. Meicoomon watched in shock as the headlights approached her, before survival instinct kicked in. A purple shockwave visibly ran through her body and before anyone knew it the wheels of the car had been sliced clean off and Meicomon was unharmed. Dr Mochizuki observed the whole spectacle pensively as his distressed daughter ran to retrieve her shaken partner. That driver was lucky to live another day.   
That was the first sign of the infection that would plague the digital world and its inhabitants six years later.   
A second incident happened a few nights later as Meicoomon had wondered into the forest. Enjoying observing the way the moonlight bounced off the leaves and wondering too far. The forest was nothing but enchanting until she came across a group of hungry foxes. They growled menacingly at her and in her fear she did the worst thing one could do…she blindly bolted. Prompting them to chase her until she was cornered against a cliff.   
Backed into a corner the lone Digimon saw purple as her survival instinct rushed through her and she desperately wished for Meiko (miles away the young girl woke up with a start as her digivice went haywire). When her vision cleared the predators were dead and she was covered in blood. The cat Digimon could only silently scream as she rushed to wash it away in a nearby stream. She then numbly padded in the general direction of her home until she heard her partner’s voice calling frantically for her.   
‘Mei!’ The Digimon cried as she flung herself into her friend’s waiting arms ‘Mei I’m sorry.’  
The young girl clutched the wet Digimon to her chest as tears streamed down her cheeks ‘Mei-chan I was so worried. Please, don’t wonder away like that.’   
A cold breeze swept over the two, make them both aware of how damp they were. Meiko took in her partners shaken appearance fearfully. ‘Mei-chan what happened?’ She whispered.  
Her partner told her so before burying herself in the girl’s chest ‘I was so afraid Mei. I wanted so badly to be in your arms! You make me feel so safe.’   
Meiko hugged her partner harder ‘Then please don’t run away like that Mei-chan. How can I protect you otherwise?’  
Her partner stilled in her arms ‘You’ll protect me?’ she asked in a small voice.  
‘Yes…’ Meiko sobbed (remembering a conversation about what made a person a hero years before. she felt so small and scared but she knew she would protect her partner no matter what, she only really needed to be a hero to one person.) ‘…Because I love you.’   
‘I love you too Mei.’ Proclaimed her partner as their hearts started to beat in sync.   
‘I promise I’ll always try find you okay.’  
(But years later she would break that promise as the problems with her partner grew out of control. But then again she underestimated how strong the love between them was. Binding them together like roots of a tree until they became one).  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
The first time Meiko met Maki was in a context she didn’t expect. For years she knew Maki as the faceless crush of her cousin, so she’s always imagined she would be introduced to Maki as Daigo’s fiancée.   
But life can throw the strangest things your way.  
In fact the first time she met Maki was a rather significant meeting (but not one she would give much thought to until years later). Maiko remembered she had been playing Jenga with Meicoomon, a game that admittedly worked more in her favour as her Digimon caused their precarious tower to tumble. The resulting crash covering up the arrival of two suited newcomers.   
‘Long time no see Bean Sprout!’ came the cheerful voice of the taller figure, startling the room’s occupants. Meicoomon jumped into her partner’s arms out of pure instinct (much the way Scooby Doo would jump into Shaggy’s). Meiko kept her back towards the door as she hunched over her partner protectively, only turning her head towards the newcomers. The first thing she noticed was the suits, causing a cold waved of dread to wash through her.  
She knew the only people in suits who came to her home were involved with Papa’s work and his work involved the Digimon. Meicoomon had been having more episodes lately (the girl had tried her best but her voice wasn’t always enough to calm her partner. The last episode was so bad it had caused her usually gentle partner to transform into some hellish creature and she was thankful it had disappeared into the forest for several hours). Her father had remained silent during the whole scene, unreadable and stoic.   
She was afraid he would have Meicoomon taken away and these two new comers would be the ones to do it.   
Well she wouldn’t let them.  
The twelve year old turned bravely towards the intruders, taking care to ensure Mei-chan was behind her. Squaring her little shoulders she stood to her full height and stared them in the eyes (squashing down her shock as she saw one of them was in fact Daigo…but who was she kidding, he was the only one who called her ‘Bean Sprout’).   
‘You can’t have her! She’s my friend!’ She said as bravely as she could, reaching behind her to lay a comforting hand on her partner’s furry head.   
The woman raised an eyebrow as if to say ‘oh really now…what could you do to stop us?’ and her companions eyes danced with amusement.  
‘I’m serious, I’ll…I’ll fight you if I have to!’   
Daigo couldn’t help but chuckle. Bending down until her reached his cousin’s height.  
‘Oh really then? Well put em’ up!’ he said jokingly.  
Sadly this would be his undoing (and he would learn the hard way not to condescend children) as Meiko’s eyes met his ones. Looking upon the smiling face of her cousin, someone who had always made her feel safe and whom she had respected, she’d honestly never felt so betrayed and angry in her life.   
Needless to say Nishijima Daigo ended up being sucker punched in the eye by the world’s meekest twelve year old and he entirely deserved it.   
Himekawa Maki his ever loving and generally stoic girlfriend of the time burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. Looking less like a government agent and more like the twenty-two year old woman she was as Daigo clutched his eye and moaned in pain.  
‘All the women in my life abuse me!’ He whined pathetically.   
Maki ignored his whinging as she got her laughter under control (She wasn’t going to let him live this one down), turning towards the red faced little girl with a kind smile.  
‘Don’t worry…Meiko-chan is it? We’re not here to take away Meicoomon. We’re only here to deliver papers to your father and take back some of his research findings to Tokyo.’  
The little girl’s posture relaxed slightly ‘You promise that’s the case?’   
The older woman nodded and bowed ‘I promise. Everything will be okay.’ (Though Maki meant it at the time this would become one of the many lies she told).   
‘I’m far from okay Hime-chan!’ muttered Daigo.  
‘Oh hush you big baby, you deserved it!’ exclaimed his companion with a long suffering sigh, dropping her professionalism and giving Meiko a cheeky wink as she continued speaking.  
‘Here l’ll kiss it better for you.’ She said condescendingly before placing a gentle kiss on his bruised cheek (that little kid had a hell of a left hook on her…appearances really can be deceiving).   
Meiko deflated back into her usual timid persona as she realised she’d actually assaulted someone for no good reason. She turned bright red and started apologising profusely as Meicoomon rubbed herself against her partner’s leg in an attempt to calm her.   
‘Itoko….I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry! Please forgive me.’ The young girl stammered, her eyes welling up with tears.  
Daigo’s mood was significantly uplifted from his girlfriend’s actions (not that he would have snapped at the kid anyways) only offered her a gentle smile. His mind flashing back to the image of eight children, dusty, world weary and their eyes way to old on their young faces, departing from a green trolley car (this would be confiscated by the Agency and studied for six years until it disappeared the day of the reboot, only to return to its rightful place in the Digital world). He remembers desperately wishing he could protect them and was sincerely glad his little cousin was not one of their number.   
He gently kneeled before her and offered her a hug.   
‘It’s no big deal Bean Sprout. I shall wear this bruise as a badge of honour!’   
Meiko still felt guilty as she allowed herself to sink into the hug (her own father rarely if anything offered her this level off affection), biting her lip she looked at the shiner around his eye before giving it a gentle kiss of her own.   
‘Thank you’   
Was all the little girl whispered as she quickly broke out of his arms, scooped up Meicoomon and dashed out of the room as fast as she could. His and the woman’s (her name was Hime-chan right?) good natured laughter following her as she did so.  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
Maki and Daigo ended up staying for dinner, invited by his aunt, who was ever eager for company. Meiko and Meicoomon had been sent off to bed, the bottles of sake were out (‘our Daigo-Kun’s an adult after all!’) and Mrs Mochizuki was teasing the young couple.   
‘You two make such a sweet pair! I’m glad you’re finally returning his feelings after years of pining on his part Himekawa-chan.’ Laughed the older woman before she took a delicate sip of her sake. Her husband beside her remained silent but had no small amount of good humour in his eyes (probably attributable to the alcohol).   
‘Oba-chan, stop making me look so pathetic!’ Daigo shot back with a grin (he’d always liked his aunt).   
Maki gave him a fond smile as she set her cup down on the table, she wasn’t super comfortable talking about a personal relationship in the presence of a superior but she never the less couldn’t help but weigh into the conversation.  
‘I suppose the moral of the story is if you pine pathetically for them long enough they’ll have no choice but to pity you and give you a chance.’ She said jokingly.   
‘The woman in my life really do abuse me so!’ Diago heaved a dramatic sigh as he took a gulp of his sake. The liquid leaving a tingling sensation as it passed down his throat.   
Once his aunt was done laughing at his expense she fixed them with a motherly smile. ‘Love takes many forms and can do so unexpectedly. Look at your Oji and I; thirteen years apart in age and he used to be my Uni lecturer.’ A nostalgic smile crossed her face as her eyes replayed a long lost memory ‘I guess you can say I played the hardball game of ‘notice me-sensei’. My family were so scandalised when I married him a year and a half after graduation! Now here we are fourteen years later and I don’t regret a thing.’   
Daigo snorted into his cup while Maki raised an eyebrow, torn between finding the story cute or questionable.   
‘Oji-san here is quite the silver fox! I remember Oto-san being so happy because he was afraid the man would die alone.’   
The older man released a dignified snort ‘Of course he did. That man married much too young in my opinion and became almost insufferable as a result. I thought the torment of pictures of his precious wife and children would never end nor would he stop telling me about how I needed to find a wife.’   
Daigo grinned teasingly ‘Aww Oji you loved him really!’  
Said uncle closed his eyes and shook his head seriously (the man before him was a lot like his father) ‘I can neither confirm nor deny that.’ He said pompously in response.   
Even Maki joined in on the laughter.   
The rest of the evening continued in the same jovial manner. Until the dishes had been cleared and Daigo followed Maki to their designated rooms only to be stopped by his uncle’s stern hand on his shoulder.   
‘Oji-san’ he questioned hesitatingly (It always baffled him how his stern uncle and outgoing eccentric father had gotten along so well).   
‘Drop the Oji-san, you’ve started working for me now so we might as well get used to addressing each other formerly.’ The man surveyed him harshly (Daigo felt those stern brown eyes, the same colour as his father’s but at the same time so very different, could penetrate into his soul) before continuing ‘I’ve really stuck my neck out for you in getting you this job, a Calligraphy graduate at most would otherwise end up as a teacher.’  
‘And I can never thank you enough…Sir…’  
The man nodded grimly in approval ‘I did so not just because I know you’re capable but also as a favour to your poor mother and sister. In memory of your father because he always wanted what was best for you….’  
The young man stiffened in response at the mention of his deceased father (dammit he would not cry!) who had sadly passed away four years ago from an unexpected heart attack ( Daigo remembers how helpless he felt as he stood by the man’s bedside, watching as he fought for life, they had really thought he would make it through. But sadly that was not to be as his dad passed away peacefully in his sleep with a smile, something the boy was grateful for.)  
‘…and while I’m the last person to lecture you on this, in light of what my wife said tonight especially.’ Dr Mochizuki continued ‘I really think you should re-evaluate your relationship with Himekawa.’   
‘Excuse me!’ Daigo’s voice raised in indignation ‘You have no right to tell me that. You can’t tell me how to feel plus nothing in the rule book says fraternisation between colleagues is forbidden. We’re doing nothing wrong!’  
His uncle signed ‘Lower your voice boy… Just because it’s not forbidden doesn’t mean it’s not frowned upon. Disorderly conduct in the office on the other hand is a definite no-no. I was twenty-two once; don’t think I wouldn’t suspect you two of engaging in inappropriate behaviour on office premises.’  
‘But…’  
‘Look,’ the older man growled ‘have you heard of the term don’t shit where you eat? Himekawa unlike yourself got in entirely on merit. That girl is ambitious, the type to do whatever it takes to get to the top. She has a potential for ruthlessness that you’ll never have and it won’t end well for you if you continue to work together. I’m not just giving you this advice as you superior but also as your uncle…you’re a good kid and I don’t want you to get hurt.’   
Daigo was rendered speechless at that (he badly wanted to defend his lover. His uncle wasn’t wrong but he didn’t know Maki the way he did), causing the older man to crack a small albeit tired smile.   
‘I don’t want to tell you how to live your life. You think you love this woman, then good for you but keep it in your pants tonight and stay out of her room. My twelve year old daughter is in the house and the only thing I want her to see in the morning is the two of you coming out of separate rooms, acting like professionals.’   
The professor then gave him an almost fatherly pat on the shoulder and stalked away, only stopping to give someone standing in the door way a nod before continuing to join his wife in bed.   
Daigo almost jumped out of his skin when he met Meicoomon’s glowing green eyes watching him for the doorway of his cousin’s room.  
He raised a shaky hand ‘Um…Hi.’  
The glowing green eyes narrowed at him ‘you were both very noisy…you’re lucky it didn’t wake up Maiko.’ The creature provided by way of explanation.   
He could see the little Xs in the feline digimon’s eyes shift (a shudder ran though him…he hoped she was just grumpy at being woken up) ‘I’m really sorry…it wasn’t my intention.’   
‘hmm…’ was the only reply he received before the eyes were gone from the door and the hall way once again fell eerily silent. Daigo stood still for several minutes as he processed the events of the day.   
With a defeated sigh and slumped shoulders the man headed towards his designated room. Careful to avoid Maki’s door, he would begrudgingly respect his uncle’s (who was far from his favourite person at the moment) wishes.   
His heart skipped a beat and his breath caught in his thought as he entered the room to find Maki elegantly resting on his bed. The moon light playing off her hair and silk robe clinging to her body in the most enticing way possible.   
To say she was a vision would be as much of an understatement as it would be to say he’d suddenly become even more of an ‘upstanding’ member of society than he already was.   
‘Well if it isn’t my strong, strapping knight in a monkey suit.’ She purred sarcastically as she swung her legs over the end of the bed and advanced towards him.  
What rational part of his brain was far from functioning (it would be more accurate to say it was being choked by his libido the way Homer Simpson would choke his son) as he observed the woman before him, leaving him a stuttering mess.  
‘Relax, Professor Mochizuki only said YOU couldn’t enter MY room and that he expected Meiko to see us exit from different rooms in the morning.’ She gave him her best come hither eyes ‘Meiko also happens to be on the other side of the building from us.’   
Daigo breathed in her intoxicating scent of ginger and vanilla as she pulled him closer by his tie, all thoughts of grumpy uncles and creepy kitties forgotten.   
He simply crashed his lips to hers before they topped onto the bed.  
For now they were young, in love and content to live in the moment.   
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
The first time Daigo had met Maki was honestly nothing special. Certainly nothing dramatic, there were no supernatural signs or significant weather changes to indicate what a huge impact she would have on his life.   
They had been thirteen and in their first year of middle school. While many of the students had known each other from elementary school, she had been the new girl (it would be this experience that would prompt her years later to show up at Meiko’s new apartment door, offering the girl help to settle into a new city). She was rather stern, quiet and kept to herself. He, being the scappy, perpetually baby-faced, swimming in a cocktail of teenage hormones and friendly lad he was, found himself observing her as she awkwardly stood close to the wall during intermission, pulling nervously on the long sleeves of her uniform.  
He couldn’t help but notice she was quite a pretty girl and therefore it was of the utmost importance he at least make an introduction. Said introduction may have involved him bounding over to her with his trademark grin and sticking his hand in her face, opting for the western culture of shaking hands.  
‘Kon’nichiwa… I’m Nishijima Daigo.’ He said with the utmost enthusiasm.   
The girl gave him a rather strange look as she appraised his outstretched hand before hesitatingly shaking it.  
‘Himekawa Maki.’ She replied, her voice crisp and professional (even back then).  
This instance however far from made them instant friends and it was only when the two of them shared a shift at their class booth at the school’s annual culture festival that they really got talking. Him finding her surprisingly witty and she finding him surprisingly intelligent. The two even spending the rest of the evening together, wondering from colourful booth to colourful booth (her love of culture festivals dissipated as she got older but the happy memories they evoked she always treasured). Chatting about any random thing that came to mind and needless to say Daigo developed a small crush on her.   
Growing up however proved difficult for them both; Daigo losing his father so suddenly at the age of eighteen and her struggling with depression, her parent’s expectations and the darker memories from the times before she came to Odaiba. They had bumped into each other on campus at Tokyo University (him in his aimlessness choosing calligraphy because the crisp lines were the only thing that made him feel he had control and her studying Information Science because it was expected of her) It was during this period that the two really became close friends as they were instantly drawn to each other in their shared misery.   
Through mutual care and support they ended up saving each other (and for that they would be forever grateful, no matter how bad things would get between them years later).   
It was through that period that they also started to fall in love.  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
The first time Digimon invaded Odaiba changed everything. They had been driving home from what could only be described as not-quite-a-date (they had been dancing around their feelings for years), stuck in traffic near Hikarigaoka, Daigo was trying to work up the courage to admit what he really felt when suddenly his vision was assaulted with the image of a Phoenix fighting a Mammoth.   
Needless to say he sat there is stunned silence wondering what the hell had been slipped into his ramen when the phoenix shot several fire bolts from its wings and barrelled into the mammoth. It was only Maki’s level head that made her swerve the car away from an approaching fireball but unfortunately into a nearby lamppost. Presenting another problem as Daigo was briefly knocked unconscious and the deployed air bags trapped them in the car. To make matters worse a massive foot was approaching their vehicle and Maki was freaking out as she frantically scrambled to rouse her friend and get free from the airbags.   
Then all of a sudden there was a feeling of weightlessness, the sound of whooshing air and Daigo suddenly falling against her side.   
She clutched onto him, ignoring his groans about how much his head hurt and looked around confusedly. They were suddenly in a park and very much alive. She almost stopped breathing however as her eyes came to rest on her saviour.  
‘Whew… I managed to get you two out of there just in time.’ came a gentle voice. Its owner none other than a small, gray skinned creature decked out in a blue hat and cape with a yellow jumpsuit. A small staff clutched firmly in his hand he kindly approached Daigo, both humans flinched instinctively.   
The strange being however took no offence ‘that cut on your head looks bad, please let me…’ he started with a pointed look at Daigo.   
‘Ughh…Okay’ he acquiesced, the little man had saved him and Maki after all. Said little man started chanting before the man’s headache receded and he felt better than ever before. Maki remained silent the whole time, sharp eyes fixed on the being before her and arms tightly wound around her friend.   
‘It is done.’ Remarked the strange man before turning to depart.   
‘Wait…’ cried Daigo, causing their saviour to turn back towards them ‘Please tell us your name! what are you?’  
The stranger’s eyes (it was the only indicator for they could not see his mouth) lit up with a kind smile ‘My name is Wizardmon and I am a Digimon.’  
Daigo met Wizardmon’s eyes as he wrapped his own arms around Maki. ‘Well then thank you…Wizardmon…thank you for saving us. I’m uh…Daigo and this is Maki.’   
The Digimon graced them with a short bow ‘you’re welcome then Daigo and Maki. Please stay safe, there are rough times ahead.’  
And with that he disappeared (it would only be years later they would learn Wizardmon had died during the attack on Odaiba for Hikari and Tailmon. They had visited his final resting place and held hands for the first time in years in silent remembrance for the Digimon that saved them).  
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………  
The appearance of the Digimon had suddenly given the two lost twenty one year olds a sense of purpose.   
The truth was (as Taichi would later painfully come to terms with) that Vandemon’s invasion had wrought many casualties and injuries. However the numbers were nowhere near as high as they could have been, not only because of the efforts of the Digidestined but also regular civilians such as Maki and Daigo, who did everything they could to help others protect their lives and their homes.   
Daigo could honestly say he owed where he ended up to Wizardmon. He spent the whole period scared out of his wits but Maki was beside him and he had the memory of his dad collapsing in a telephone booth. He had long since come to terms with the fact that there was nothing he could have done to save his dad but it didn’t mean there was nothing he could do to save people now. Be it getting supplies around the city to where it was needed, beating off Bakemon and ferrying people to safe houses around the city.   
He’d watched along with Maki as eight preteen children defeated a monster not just once but twice, stared in awe as the other world appeared in the sky and been mesmerised by the rainbow portal that reached up into the heavens and whisked away who he would come to learn as the chosen children (though for years he would be more familiar with their assigned code names).   
It was bathed in this rainbow light that he first kissed Maki. Turning to her in excitement he had seen in her eyes how he had always felt. And honestly at that point no more words were necessary.   
The two of them, dusty and bruised, had then made themselves comfortable on some nearby rubble and watched as those children disappeared. Cheering them on in the comfort of each other’s arms.   
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………  
The agency became their lives and the next few years were hectic as a result.   
The agency had started small, it has always consisted of a few people (his uncle included) interested in studying ‘digital anomalies’ and the ‘quantum sea’ amongst other things. This elite group had been sourly lacking in members and government funding until the ever fateful August 1999.   
Then suddenly (even amidst the massive infrastructure repairs) the money started flowing in. Many who had aided in the efforts against the Digimon and had first-hand experience with them were interviewed.  
This number included Maki and Daigo, both of whom seemed to have fallen under a spell wrought by the digimon’s arrival, though their symptoms were different. For the first time in a long time the latter had found a sense of purpose and the former a goal to reach.   
It was simply a matter of getting in, and with the agency still a new born deer attempting to stand, it was not too arduous a task (though Daigo still had to pull some strings with his uncle). They then witnessed as the agency grew (and continued to do so with each digital incident and new chosen child).  
Despite the vigorous training and late nights of those first few years there would always be a sense of fondness as the earlier members looked back on those years. For Maki and Diago in particular those memories of learning how to be a couple were blissfully happy ones.   
They would remember late night stake outs and laughingly coming up with nicknames for the original 8 chosen and their partners (the original code names of DD1, DD2 ect. were too stiff and formal. And somehow along the way ‘Jurassic Park’, ‘Blue’s clues’, ‘The eagles are coming’, ‘the Beetles’, ‘the reason I need hayfever tablets’, ‘Flipper’, ‘the Christian agenda’ and ‘Josie& the Pussycats’ became more widely used than the official terms. Nicknames giggled among the younger agents and then later held with a reverence as more and more Digidestined appeared around the world. There was something special about the eight that started it all and for that they held a special place in the hearts of many at the agency). They would remember those slow, lazy nights where it was just the two of them in the office. He would remember giving into temptation and silence in the darkened room, the only sounds that of their breathing and the feeling of being the last two people in the world.   
She would remember the way the sunset would drape in shadows the office equipment, Daigo’s laugh and perpetually shining eyes and walks home in the late hours of the night. His large hand warming her smaller one as they talked about anything and everything.   
Sadly for both of them these early days much like their time as a couple came to an end. The change however was gradual and worked much as a river did, slowly chipping away at the banks on either side.   
As the agency grew and the workload became harder they spent more and more time apart. Daigo, much as his uncle had predicted, was happy working in the sidelines for the most part. His goal had always been to help people and the Digimon who needed it. He loved field work and wanted to progress but was never interested in the politics and bureaucracy that existed in an organisation such as theirs. His interest in it only extending to the point he could keep the Digidestined out of it.   
Maki on the other hand had entered the Agency with a mission to get to the top. Something she had worked steadily on from the very beginning. Getting there however wasn’t easily, she found her morality becoming greyer and the lies rolling off her tongue to get the job done easier and easier. She found being a woman in such a male dominated field required her to be colder, to be more stoic and more closed lipped than ever before to get where she wanted. But in all her ambition Daigo was often left in the way side as he found himself going back to their apartment alone more and more often. That the silences between them stretched further than ever.   
Their relationship was built on emotional dependence but as both progressed through their different paths of the agency they found themselves relying on each other emotionally less and less. Maki wanted to get to the top but Daigo didn’t understand her reasons for doing so, never tried to question them as he had his own concerns. Maki was frustrated that Daigo, despite being so capable wasn’t doing all he could despite his claims that he wanted to protect the children.   
There was still love but ultimately that understanding that had been so integral to their relationship diminished and with it their relationship. Which along the way became two people in love, unable to properly communicate with each other but unable to quite let each other go.   
The real push came when Owikawa kidnapped the spore children. Maki, had chosen to have the agency take a passive role, to step back and observe how things played out.  
Daigo on the other hand was furious that they were putting the lives of children at stake, furious that it had to end up with a man dying. Sure everything had gone to plan but at what cost? What if things had gone horribly wrong?   
So they had argued, more and more with each night of the ordeal until the dust had settled and they both sat in cold silence at their apartment’s kitchen table. The moonlight that was usually so comforting to the both of them acting as an oppressive arbiter.   
It was Daigo surprising that ended it.  
‘Maki…I don’t think it’s fair on either of us to continue things this way. We haven’t really talked or been happy in a long time.’   
Her green eyes observed him and he swallowed a lump in his throat as she spoke. Her voice sounded so quiet and meek.  
‘We haven’t really been on the same path have we?’   
‘No… I trust your judgement Hime-chan, I really do but just because I trust your judgement doesn’t mean I have to condone it.’   
‘I don’t expect you too but I wish you would try to understand without simply judging me.’ She responded curtly and the oppressive silence returned. Both of them knew after nearly a year of drifting, of disagreeing and of misunderstanding that their relationship just didn’t work anymore. They were far too deep in the game but they couldn’t be a team. At least not a romantically involved one.   
Neither really wanted to fight for each other at this point either.   
‘So this is it then.’ Daigo stood to leave ‘I’m sorry Maki, I don’t think I know how to love anyone else but the only option is for one of us to leave the agency and try make things work…but… we both know neither of us can do that.’  
Maki followed him to their room silently as he packed his bags ‘Do you have somewhere to go?’  
Her boyfriend (now ex) nodded ‘My mum and sister live in this city, I don’t think it’ll be to hard to crash with one of them.’  
Maki nodded numbly as they headed towards the door. They shared a brief kiss goodbye, his lips still tasted of sugar and cinnamon from all those baked good he loved but now they had a hint of salt.  
‘I’ll see you on Monday.’ She whispered before he left; only allowing herself to slip against the closed door and cry when he was gone, cursing herself for not saying she loved him for the last time (she didn’t know he did the same on the other side of the door).   
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………  
Relationships like life could be strange things. Like a river that could twist and turn, then split into random directions.   
That was the contents of Maki’s musings as she rung the doorbell of the apartment housing her former lover’s cousin. She could of course say she was there because the girl’s partner was an intriguing one but that would be far from the truth.   
She simply knew what it was like to feel lonely, displaced and the struggles of adapting to an alien environment. Never mind that this girl was her boss’s daughter or her co-worker’s cousin. She was simply a girl that could use a touch of familiarly amongst all the change.  
Maki was simply willing to provide it for her (she slapped down the voice that sounded suspiciously like Daigo’s whispering ‘see there’s some good in you after all!’)   
The door opened to reveal the surprised younger girl, Meicoomon’s curious green eyes peering above the teenagers shoulder.   
‘Hime-chan? Um… my parents aren’t home at the moment.’   
Maki gave her a comforting smile ‘I’m here to see how you’re settling in actually, I was in your position back when I was a teenager. Do you need help unpacking?’   
A faint blush covered Meiko’s cheeks as she avoided eye contact with the older woman. ‘I just finished unpacking actually….’  
‘Then that’s fine. What do you say I take you and Mei-chan on a tour around Odaiba?’   
Meicoomon peaked up from her position on her partners shoulder and started shaking Meiko enthusiastically. ‘Oh lets…lets! Please Mai! Please!’   
The teenager; red faced and spluttering had no option from that point but to indulge her partner.   
It turned out to nevertheless be a pleasant evening. Maki had shown Meiko around town and they had ended up in a little hole-in-the-wall type restaurant which served the best Yaki Udon.   
‘This is amazing!’ Chimed Meiko happily as her partner made slurping sounds of agreement. ‘How do you know about such a place?’   
‘Nishijima-san and I used to enjoy discovering places like this to eat during our university years and during the time we were dating.’ Replied Maki as she took a delicate sip of her green tea.  
Meiko’s chop-sticks stilled ‘Oh I’m really sorry if I brought up bad memories! Sango-chan said you two broke up but still worked together and….’   
Maki hid a smirk behind her cup as the other girl spluttered over herself. ‘Its fine Meiko-chan, your cousin and I are still work colleagues and friends. We don’t regret our relationship and as far as exs go we’re amicable ones… your other cousin and aunt on the other hand, haven’t been my biggest fans since the relationship ended. Not that I can blame them too much.’  
Meiko’s face was still red and she avoided the older woman’s eyes. ‘Ohh… That’s good. I mean as long as you’re both happy.’ She then made eye contact ‘I’m glad you’re able to still have a good relationship.’  
‘As am I’ replied Maki, giving her a small smile in response.   
She was really. The break up, though painful had been for the best. She still missed the intimacy they shared, his swimmers build and warm arms, his corny jokes and the late nights they would spend burrowed under the blankets. Excitedly mapping out stories of grand adventures in another world or even in the wilderness. She loved listening to his stories about his family and in turn she would tell him of her life before she met him (but she didn’t tell him everything of course…a move she knew was part of the reason why she lost him).   
But then of course she saw him at work every day. It seemed strangely enough that since breaking up they started gradually working closer together, until he was eventually her right hand man, the only person she could truly trust to preserve her morality. She knew he still loved her as she loved him but their current relationship worked best for both of them. They were content to settle with what they had for now…   
…It was time to change the subject.   
Thankfully Meiko seemed to agree with her as she broached a new topic. ‘I think I ran into one of the original chosen in my building…well I think so because he had really unique bushy brown hair…and I remember you and Daigo-kun mentioning that.’  
The pieces clicked together in Maki’s mind ‘Oh you mean Jurassic p…I mean Yagami Taichi. Yes he and his sister live in your apartment building. Was he nice to you?’   
Meiko blushed even harder ‘Oh we just acknowledged each other, we didn’t talk!’   
Her partner sniggered by her side ‘I bet you thought he was cute.’  
‘Shut up Mei-chan! That’s not true.’   
Maki’s green eyes danced with mirth ‘Oh watch out Meiko-chan. Men always complain about women but it’s really they that are the troublesome ones. You’re better off finding yourself a nice woman.’   
‘Hime-chan!’ squawked Meiko in pure indignation. Looking even more like she was about to have an aneurism as her companions laughed at her (even though Meicoomon didn’t really understand what difference it made whether her partner had a boyfriend or girlfriend).  
‘Alright, fine I’ll change the subject.’ Maki grinned at her playfully (she hadn’t felt this playful in years) ‘Just so you don’t get any nasty surprises on your first day of school…your cousin’s currently stationed at your new school as a calligraphy teacher. So keep it hush-hush okay.’  
Meiko’s eyebrows raised in surprise ‘really?’ she asked excitedly.  
Upon seeing her companion nod, the girl’s expression changed as she suddenly came to a realisation of sorts. Her expression quickly changing from happy to grouchy as she glared at her noodles, her partner even giving her a concerned look in response.   
‘He better not call me Bean Sprout in front of the other kids.’ She muttered darkly.  
Maki almost choked on her tea with laughter.   
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………  
Memories were powerful things. Granting a person a sense of worth or shame and intertwining their lives with that of another’s. They could leave powerful emotions in their wake but at the same time they could leave behind a feeling of nothingness.   
One which both Meiko and Daigo could attest to.   
For Meiko her beloved partner was lost to her inside the digital world and for Daigo the woman he had never fallen out of love with might as well have been miles away emotionally.   
‘Some heroes we turned out to be…’ muttered Meiko, her eyes still fixed on her digivice. ‘We couldn’t do a thing where it really mattered.’  
Daigo took a seat next to his cousin, she was right, he may have not condoned many of Maki’s actions but he had trusted them without questioning the reasons as much as he should have. Learning she had been keeping secrets from him, from the chosen, was infuriating and painful.   
When had they stopped talking to each other? He still loved her and realising that he was slowly loosing trust in her made him wonder what it was that he was doing. He knew she was going down a darker route but had he ever really tried to save her?  
His musing was cut off as Meiko continued to speak.   
‘I…I was relieved in a sense when the reboot happened. Meicoomon’s episodes would be so difficult to cope with at times and I was glad…to not have to go through with it any more. Glad, that Meicoomon was no longer suffering and I could let her be free and happy to do what she wanted. But I…I can’t let her go, I can feel it deep down…that’s she is calling for me and always will…’  
Daigo observed as her shoulders shook with silent tears.   
‘Meiko…’ he started ‘… I wish I could say something to make things better but I wouldn’t know where to even begin. Life is unfair but we have to somehow get through it… this can’t be the end all of it.’   
‘How would you know?’  
‘I don’t Bean Sprout…I don’t think I ever could but there are some connections that I guess we’re always stuck with.’   
The two cousins lapsed into silence, both feeling like failures as they observed the full moon. Both reflecting on the relationships most precious to them.   
The question remained however, now that all the pretty blossoms of their relationships had fallen, whether the connections they shared had made them one tree and not two with that special person.  
But was that really a blessing or a curse?


	17. Emergency

EMERGENCY 

‘Jou-sempai get over to Taichi’s quick! It’s an emergency!’   
Those ten words were all Kido Jou needed to drop what he was doing and high-tail it over to their fearless leaders’ place, each scenario running through his head worse that the last. It didn’t particularly help that the one who called in a panic was none other than their usually unflappable Izumi Koushiro.  
Honestly when the resident genius was freaking out and calling him…the biggest worrier and doctor of the group in a fluster….well, how could Jou not feel any modicum of anxiety?  
That was why Kido Jou was currently pounding his fist against the Yagami’s door with the force of a hundred panic-attacks, out of breath and with sweat dripping down his forehead… only to nearly hit Koushiro in the face when the equally flustered red-head abruptly swung open the door.   
‘Ahh…Sorry…about…that… Koushiro…kun!’ the older boy panted as he attempted to catch his breath and calm himself down.   
The shorter teenager eyed him wearily before assuring him that it wasn’t a problem. Jou then straightened up to his full height like his ‘doctor mode’ switch had been turned on.   
‘What’s the problem Izumi? Did something happen to Taichi?’   
Koushiro found himself scratching the back of his head nervously as he met his friend’s stern gaze.  
‘Umm it’s not Taichi-san. He’s not even home.’  
‘Then what is it? Did something happen to you?’ Jou demanded as he grabbed his friend and gave him a once over.  
‘No! And personal space Kido! It’s not me…something’s wrong with Hikari-Chan! ’  
Jou almost stopped breathing. Something happening to Yagami Hikari, the group’s resident baby sister and apple of her incredibly protective brother’s eye, was worse-case scenario.  
‘Then where is she? What’s wrong with her?’ the bearer of the crest of reliability all but yelled.  
‘She’s in the bathroom Jou-sempai…’ stammered Koushiro before running after the taller teen who was now making his way down the hall ‘… She rushed in there this morning, before screaming and groaning in pain… the only thing I could get out of her was that she was bleeding and then she locked herself in the bathroom.’   
Jou’s eyes winded at that ‘then why didn’t you call the hospital!?!’ The older boy then launched himself at the bathroom door calling for Hikari.   
Koushiro’s eyes wondered to the floor shame-faced ‘Well we don’t have all the required data to form a hypothesis and when I suggested that option she threatened to rip my balls off…’   
Jou stopped mid knock in shock ‘are you serious? Our Hikari-chan? What did you do?’   
‘Keep it down please!’ Hikari screamed from the other side of the door before groaning in pain. The usually respectful thirteen year old curled into a ball on the floor, the cold tiles providing some relief to her pounding head and the intense pain emanating from her abdomen.  
It felt like her body had turned against her and those boys were being too bloody loud!  
Hush immediately fell on the other side of the door before she heard Jou’s hesitant (and significantly quieter) voice ‘Hikari-chan what’s wrong? Please tell us or we can’t help you.’  
‘Exactly! We’re worried Hikari-chan…what if you need the hospital?’ Koushiro coaxed.  
Hikari only curled in on herself further as another burst of pain wrecked through her abdomen.   
‘I don’t needed the hospital!’ the girl spat out through gritted teeth (what she really wanted right now was her mum…who was unfortunately away visiting an aunt. What she had instead was two of her resident older brother figures… To be fair it could be worse, it could have been Taichi and Yamato!). She heard what suspiciously sounded like a groan from Koushiro about ‘Yagami stubbornness’ but chose to ignore it.  
‘Look…’ said Jou with a long suffering sigh ‘…we won’t know if it’s serious unless you tell us what’s wrong. Please tell us your symptoms…if I don’t know what it is then we can have Koushiro research it and if it’s bad we call my dad or Shin-niisan okay?’   
There was silence for a few moments before Hikari replied with what sounded suspiciously like a sob ‘Okay…’ (she really hated that she was being a bother right now)   
‘Alright then,’ started Jou in the most calming voice possible, glancing over at Koushiro who already had his laptop at the ready ‘…tell us how your feeling.’  
‘Ughh’ the youngest groaned before continuing ‘my head hurts, I feel nauseous, my stomach is cramping and it feels like it’s trying to kill me!’  
The sound of rapid keyboard clicks nearly drowned out Jou’s second question ‘Koushiro said you were bleeding is that true?’  
‘Yes…’  
The boys exchanged an alarmed look before Jou turned back to the door.  
‘Okay… Can you please tell me where you’re bleeding? Did you slip and hit your head? Is there a lot of blood?’   
They couldn’t see the blush that spread over Hikari’s cheeks ‘Ummm…it’s not my head, there is a bit of blood but it’s kinnda embarrassing.’   
Both boys let out a sigh of relief from the other side of the door (though the fact there was what sounded like...in Hikari-speak of course…a decent amount of blood was still a cause of concern. However this was Hikari and she wasn’t so unreasonable she’d let herself bleed out on the bathroom floor…would she?)   
‘You can tell us Hikari-chan…I want to be a doctor and Koushiro is well…Koushiro.’ Jou tried to coax her.  
‘I want to be offended but he’s not wrong…your probably better having me here than any of the other boys.’  
‘I don’t know how to explain it! And I don’t particularly want too! It’s really embarrassing’ Hikari shot back  
Jou refrained from bashing his head against the door in frustration. Koushiro thankfully had a solution ‘why don’t you text it to Jou instead?’  
‘I don’t have my phone…slip it to me under the door it’s on my desk!’   
Said phone was quickly retrieved only to be met with a slight problem…her flip phone was too bulky to slide under the door (also it had a wired duck thingy attached to it which neither could be bothered figuring out how to get the string off). Jou quickly slipped her his own, much thinner phone, under the door.   
‘Text your phone or Koushiro’s okay! The password is 0108.’   
Koushiro raised a bushy eyebrow in response ‘the anniversary…nice.’   
Jou gave a weak smile in response before lifting his finger to his lips ‘now hush hush okay! You’re the only two I trust not to hack my phone.’ He was then interrupted by a sharp ping from Hikari’s phone. Jou quickly opened it up (tisking internally at the fact it wasn’t password protected…but that was honestly a lecture for another time) and scanned through the message, his brows scrunching up as he did so.   
‘Umm…Hikari-chan… you’re not dying you’ve just gotten your period.’  
There was silence on the other side of the door.  
‘My what?’  
Jou took a deep breath drawing on his reserves of patience ‘Yes…your period. Didn’t they show you an educational video on puberty in your last year of middle school?’   
Hikari was silent for a few moments ‘I was ill that day…’  
Koushiro shook his head sympathetically ‘one must rue our conservative culture when it comes to these things! A single educational video is hardly helpful.’   
Jou ignored him ‘what about your mum didn’t she explain it to you?’   
‘Sorta…’ replied Hikari from the other side of the door ‘…she mentioned the bleeding thing and that it happens to all girls at a certain age but didn’t go into detail now that I think about it…she just said to tell her when it happens.’  
Jou let out a tired sigh as Koushiro immediately started typing something on his laptop…this was awkward to say the least. He wasn’t really sure he was all that qualified to explain the workings of the female body but for the sake of the girl he considered a younger sister he would find a way!  
...though of course as he slipped from his dramatic monologue to reality and realised he was too late.  
‘The menstrual cycle is the regular natural change that occurs in the female reproductive system (specifically the uterus and ovaries) that makes pregnancy possible. The cycle is required for the production of ovocytes and for the preparation of the uterus for pregnancy. Up to 80% of women report having some symptoms during the one to two weeks prior to menstruation. Common symptoms include acne, tender breasts… Oh hey before I continue Hikari, fun fact…if this was the Indian Subcontinent getting your first period would be a much bigger deal there…You’d have to avoid seeing any males for a whole week and get a small fortunes worth of jewellery at the end of… ’  
Koushiro let out a small ‘eep’ as his laptop was slammed shut.  
‘What was that for?’ he demanded as he levelled his taller friend with a glare ‘I was just trying to help!’  
‘By quoting Wikipedia? Seriously? Isn’t that beneath you?’  
‘Usually it is but this seems like one of those situations where I’d try explaining things and just be called tactless… Biology isn’t exactly my area of interest or expertise. I figured it was best to set it out in layman’s terms, better then staring dramatically at a wall like you were doing.’  
Jou shifted nervously ‘I was trying to figure out the best way to explain it to Hikari-chan…’  
‘…you know I’m still on the other side of the door and in pain right?’ the younger girl attempted to interrupt the two but to no avail.   
‘…and it’s probably really awkward to have two teenage guys explain to her about female puberty…’ Jou continued without a hitch.   
‘It really is!’ Hikari chipped in from the other side of the door, before biting back a groan of pain as a particularly nasty menstrual cramp hit her (was this what it felt like to be a football? This is probably was what it felt like to be a football!)  
‘… So I figured it would be best to get one of our female friends or relatives on the phone and have them explain things to her.’ Finished Jou.  
Koushiro blinked ‘Oh…that makes sense…why didn’t I think of that?’  
‘You’re so used to being Mr Exposition…it’s probably second nature for you. Nothing to be embarrassed about!’ explained Jou with an apologetic smile before turning to the door. ‘Hikari can I have my phone back?’  
The phone was almost immediately slid under the door (it was clear Hikari was as grateful not to have one of the boys explain things to her as they were not to have to explain it).   
Jou immediately scrolled through his contracts; he could try Sora-san…but she was at a tennis tournament. Mimi-kun? No, it was really early in the morning/late night over there and Mimi would kill him for interrupting her beauty sleep (he shuddered at the memory of a particular incident where it was just the two of them in the Digiworld). Miyako? Daisuke recently broke her phone and was still in the process of replacing it. His mum? Maybe as a last resort, She’d just gotten off a long night shift at the hospital. Shuu-niisan’s wife? She was a nice lady and just had a baby…unfortunately the number was engaged. His eyes then fell on one name in particular.  
Jou’s heart started rapidly beating in his chest but he was somewhat desperate (poor Hikari had been locked in that bathroom for god knows how long) and it was worth a shot.   
The phone picked up after the first few rings ‘Moshi-moshi’  
‘Hey you’re a girl right!’ Jou quickly blurted out…his cheeks turning red with embarrassment (even Koushiro gave him a bewildered look before muttering something about him being as smooth as bag of nails).   
‘Last time I checked yes…’ was the confused reply of the girl on the other end of the phone (goddammit Kido…get those dirty thoughts out of your head).  
Jou nervously scratched the back of his head ‘Sorry about that, it’s my younger friend….she’s a girl too by the way…requires some advice which I may not be the best person to give. Do you have time? It would be a great help if you could talk to her.’   
‘I guess I could make an exception and push aside my busy schedule for you Kido-kun…’ came the teasing (angelic) voice on the other end ‘…but you owe me one!’  
Jou giggled (luckily Koushiro was too busy looking at his laptop and asking Hikari something to pay attention to his friend’s rather pathetic display) ‘…that would be great! Give me a moment, I’ll hand you over to Hikari…you’re a life saver! Thanks so much.’  
He then knocked on the door and Hikari (who had apparently crawled towards it in the meantime) quickly stuck her hand out to retrieve it.   
Jou allowed his shoulders to relax a little as step one of dealing with the Hikari dilemma was dealt with. His reverie was once again interrupted by a cough from Koushiro.  
‘So I asked Hikari and she says there are no female sanitary products in the bathroom cabinets.’  
‘I’ll go get some then…’ Jou was quick to reply ‘…in the meanwhile could you give Hikari a painkiller and encourage her to take a hot shower, let her change into some clean clothes…it’ll make her feel better.’  
‘I was looking at some messenger boards on the internet…women say hot coffee helps with the pain. I’ll do some research into the most appropriate products and call you.’  
‘Thanks Koushiro. Give her some coffee if it helps…’ replied Jou as he pocketed Hikari’s phone (the duck keychain comically stick out of his back pocket like a misplaced tail) and checked he had his wallet before stopping what he was doing and staring at Koushiro.  
The younger boy raised an eyebrow in response ‘what?’  
‘I just realised this….where is Taichi? Why are you here?’  
The redhead simply gestured towards the kitchen table ‘Taichi had football practice and let’s just say he and computers aren’t the best of friends.  
Jou raise his hands with a smirk ‘say no more...’  
And with that he was out of the door.  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
The flat felt strangely large after Jou had left. Koushiro could hear Hikari’s soft voice as she chatted to someone in the bathroom as he wondered into the kitchen to make Hikari a coffee and find her the painkillers. He couldn’t help but reflect with gratitude on the fact they were all so young when they first were dragged to the Digital world…god knows how they would have been able to handle something like this with no warning or resources (getting Hikari medicine had been a nightmare as it was…not that the situations were comparable). Guys were lucky in that respect.   
He proceeded to retrieve the needed painkillers and started making coffee the way he knew Hikari liked it; one teaspoon of coffee and hot chocolate powder each, two teaspoons of sugar and a generous amount of milk. The young computer genius’s eyebrows knit together in contemplation as he realised he knew how exactly every single member of the original team liked their tea and coffee. It was a strange realization to say the least, six years ago he had felt mostly isolated (albeit self-imposed). Accidently learning he was adopted had really left him feeling like a piece of driftwood floating hopelessly in a large ocean of uncertainty. His parents had lied to him; he had no roots and the interactions he felt the most comfortable with were those with people online (the distance made him feel safe). Then the digital world happen and he was thrown into a world which followed little logic and rules…he’d met Tentomon, he’d made friends with many people so different from himself and he’d had that much needed talk with his parents.   
And now…he was in a pretty good place. If his adventures had imparted anything on his young mind it was that family didn’t have to be rooted in blood. But today’s happenings had brought up something new.  
They were all growing up (physically at least).  
Maybe it was the traditional part of him thinking so but they were all teenagers now. Hikari had just gotten her first period and was currently attracting boys like flies, Takeru had cracked his voice before him and was catching up to him in height, Taichi had gotten taller, Yamato and Jou’s cheekbones more prominent, Mimi and Sora were growing up to be beautiful. He himself had even discovered girls last summer when introduced to some of the Takaishida brother’s cousins; their hair like silken gold and pillowy bosoms almost being his undoing (he still got teased mercilessly of course…his friends where arseholes in that respect).   
It was just strange to comprehend… when he thought of their team he still saw them as eternally little kids (for that was what they had been); Hikari with her whistle, Taichi’s goggles, Jou’s oversized glasses, Yamato’s harmonica and Sora, Mimi and Takeru’s stupid hats…  
Did that mean that mean his hard earned stability was shifting?   
‘Um Koushiro-kun, I’m done with Jou’s phone.’ Hikari called out, startling the older boy from his reverie.   
…well the angsting could wait for another time (who was he Yamato?). He’d learn to adapt eventually.   
‘Sorry Hikari-chan’ he replied to her flustered as he hurried over to the door with the coffee and painkillers. The younger girl opened the door enough so that they could exchange items.   
‘Nono…its fine, I feel really bad for causing you and Jou-sempai so much trouble.’ Hikari admitted before taking a painkiller and thanking him softly.  
‘If you don’t mind me saying so Hikari…looking after you really isn’t a problem, I know taking about things can be the hardest thing in the world at times but please know you have people who want to help you.’  
Though the brief gap in the door he saw her smile with gratitude.   
‘So…’ he continued ‘…are you feeling better?’  
‘A little but that’s more to do with your’s and Jou’s kindness. The painkillers and coffee have yet to kick in so thank you.’  
‘It’s fine. Jou recommends you have a hot shower and he’ll be back soon with some pads or tampons for you.’ Koushiro replied curtly.  
Hikari felt her face heat up at that but nodded her agreement in response before she remembered how she rushed into the bathroom with nothing but the pyjamas on her back.   
‘Koushiro-kun, sorry to be a bother but can you…um…bring me my towel and some clothes please.’   
He friend gave her a kind smile in response ‘Again Hikari-chan…not a problem and not a bother. Taichi-san would kill me if I didn’t help out his little sister in a time of need after all!’ and with that he was gone.   
Hikari smiled to herself as she leant back against the wall and sipped on her coffee…it was just how she liked it (with as little of the coffee taste as possible). She felt blessed really, Sora and Mimi always complained guys could be insensitive when it came to stuff like this but here she had two guys taking care of her. This happiness however didn’t last long as the thirteen year old’s eyes widened once she realised she’d asked Koushiro to bring her clothes.  
‘Oh…’  
‘…shit’ muttered Koushiro as he stood in front of Hikari’s undergarment drawer, having accidentally opened it in the pursuit of shorts for the younger girl, intending to grab the first things he saw… thankfully he hadn’t.   
Okay this was really awkward … He may have discovered girls but Hikari was like a little sister to him! Of course logically speaking she asked for clothes and well…that would mean she needed underwear and would it be fair to expect her to dash into the room just for this?  
But Taichi and Yamato would kill him! (and Takeru might get a little jealous…what, with the crush and all)  
Nope, he did not want the distinction of being the first (well second…Daisuke admitted to having a peek back when he had a misguided crush on Hikari…that was really an outlet for his crush on Taichi…god hormones were complicated! Why couldn’t he be asexual?) guy to touch Yagami Hikari’s panties.   
Logically…he was just helping a friend…emotionally…he’d rather not get punched in the face by Taichi again (that was Yamato’s job).   
Koushiro turned away from the offending drawer, his face as red as his hair and allowed himself to calm down as he noted the collage of pictures on her wall (Takeru, Taichi and Tailmon being the most prominent members).   
Alright, he could do this…they were just pieces of cloth. He was more mature than this! He was the problem solver of the group after all!  
Huh…maybe he could use the tweezers in his pocket, the one he used for picking up small components of computer, to pick them and place them with Hikari’s other clothes…that way he could be completely honest if he ever had to admit to not touching them.  
Or…he could use a plastic bag and pick them up the way dog owners picked up their dog’s mess in the park. That way he wouldn’t have to look or touch them and he could just dump Hikari’s other stuff on top.   
Plastic bag it was then!  
Moments later he knocked on the bathroom door, Hikari opening it only to look as embarrassed as he felt (well at least the pain killers were working). Koushiro thrust the bag with her stuff towards her face without quite meeting her eye.  
‘We shall never speak of this.’   
Hikari took the bag shyly but with a small smirk on her face.  
‘Speak about what?’  
Koushiro cracked a smile at that.  
‘Atta’ girl.’  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
Jou couldn’t help but feel like the wildlings about to scale the wall. For above him rose shelves and shelves of feminine products in their floral packaging and repeated use of ‘ultra absorbent’ and ‘maximum comfort’.   
Which was the most absorbent? Which the most comfortable? What counted as comfort in those circumstances? He had no idea!  
Like with the digital world he could now say he’d gone where few men had gone before. And like with the digital world…he wasn’t quite sure where to start.   
‘I could use that call right now Koushiro…’ he muttered as he bounced on the balls of his feet. The teenager retrieved Hikari’s phone from his back pocket as he waited. He was really hoping not to keep his friend waiting too long.   
Huh…Hikari had a text from someone called ‘Mad Hatter’…. Whoever could that be? Wait what was he saved under in that case? He shouldn’t check really it was impolite but on the other hand Hikari should really have password protected her phone…  
He found himself checking anyways… Glasses sempai… well that’s just rude!  
His mental tirade was interrupted (and he nearly jumped out of his skin) as the theme song of ‘Dexter’s laboratory’ started playing, revealing the caller to be a ‘Red-head Donatello.’   
‘Koushiro-Kun! Perfect timing! How’s Hikari?’  
‘Okay…She said the painkillers are working.’ Koushiro replied sounding surprisingly bashful ‘I’ve researched and cross referenced what the best products are and the best prices for them. They say to buy the always night ultra brand for first timers.’  
‘Great!’ Jou replied happily as he pulled several of the aforementioned packages of the shelf (just in case…he should also make a note to add these to the Digidestined survival kit if they were ever going back for extended periods of time) ‘Amazing job as always Koushrio! I’ll be back soon.’  
‘I’m counting on that Jou-Sempai.’   
And with that his friend hung up abruptly (much to Jou’s confusion). The older boy stared at Hikari’s phone for a few minutes before shrugging and heading to the counters.   
Fate would usually mean this would be an uneventful trip…but fate was rarely kind to Kido Jou.  
‘Jou-Sempai!’ came a bubbly voice, not giving him much warning before its owner almost barrelled into him like a hyperactive puppy.  
‘Daisuke-kun!’ Jou exclaimed in surprise ‘What are you doing here?’  
‘I’m here for a football match of course! Ken and I are just running out for some refreshments’ replied the leader of the second generation of Digidestined. The younger boy then abruptly swung round almost knocking the packages out of Jou’s arms and stood on his tiptoes.   
‘Hey Ken! Get over here I bumped into Jou-Sempai in the ladies products section!’  
‘Daisuke can you lower your voice please…’  
Daisuke however in his enthusiasm completely ignored him and started waving frantically as an embarrassed Ken shuffled over to them.   
‘Good morning and good to see you Jou…I apologise for losing control of Daisuke… He tends to dash off the minute I turn my back.’  
‘No fair Ken…you make me sound like an untrained puppy!’ his friend protested.  
‘If it makes you feel better you’re as cute as one…’ the taller boy commented with a blush.  
‘Aww ba…’  
‘Uh guys…I’m know I can be considered somewhat of a wallflower but can you please cease your banter and your flirting… not that I don’t want to catch up but I’m in somewhat of a rush right now. I’m really sorry but perhaps we can catch up later?’ Jou butted in.   
‘Sorry Jou!’ Ken exclaimed with a bow ‘I’m afraid we won’t be able to catch up later, this is a last minute match…we’re heading straight back to Tamachi afterwards.’   
Daisuke nodded in agreement before catching a glimpse of what was in Jou’s arms.  
‘What are you doing with pads? Do you have a girlfriend? Is she on the rag? Jun’s always even more of a bitch then usual during her monthlies, everything sets her off and I have to buy her like a million ice creams!’  
‘Maybe she’s annoyed because you’re genuinely annoying her! And stop prying into Jou’s business! It’s rude.’ Ken cut in sassily.  
‘Well excuse you! Why are you taking my sister’s side? Why is everything offending you today?’ Daisuke shot back at his boyfriend testily. Jou was now feeling increasingly uncomfortable, just his luck….another situation he wasn’t qualified to deal with was brewing.   
‘Um…are you guys okay? Don’t you have a football match?’  
‘Is this about Miyako’s phone again? Or is it the noddle incident? How many times do I have to fricking apologise for it!’ Daisuke’s voice was rising now.  
‘Oh god why?’ Jou couldn’t help but mutter, they were nearly at the front of the queue now and Jou was frantically looking for a distraction before spotting a fridge full of convenience store ice cream and grabbing a carton. ‘Hey look Daisuke, I’m taking your advice… Yum! Sweet diabetes inducing goodness! Actually I’ll take two because it’s such a good idea! Please stop fighting!’   
Unfortunately for Jou, his attempt to bait them with a distraction didn’t bite and the two proceeded to argue more. The seventeen year old slammed his intended purchases on the counter with a sigh… Daisuke and Ken weren’t their older counterparts but them fighting was giving him a horrible case of de ja vu (which honestly felt more like indigestion). It didn’t help that he was getting numerous texts from Koushiro asking him where the hell he was.   
‘Aren’t you going to do anything about this?’ He asked the shop assistant who was watching the spectacle with wide eyes.   
The girl gave him a wicked grin in response ‘Nope…Do you have any idea how boring this job is? This is the most entertainment I’ve had all day.’  
To make matters worse Hikari’s phone started ringing.  
‘What fresh hell is this!’ exclaimed Jou before picking it up ‘look Koushiro I’m gonna get back as soon as I can!’  
‘Jou-sempai?’ came Takeru’s confused voice ‘why do you have Hikari’s phone?’  
Oh crap! Hikari really wouldn’t appreciate everybody knowing about her personal matters, having Jou and Koushrio accidentally involved was already stressful enough for the poor girl.   
‘Um…’ Jou replied with a nervous chuckle ‘…I must have accidentally mistaken hers for mine! Silly me…’  
‘How?’ was the response of the younger boy after a few seconds of contemplative silence.   
Thankfully for Jou the universe decided to throw him a bone as the arguing behind him ceased and Daisuke excitedly exclaimed.  
‘Is that Take-dork?’  
Jou grinned back manically in response as he sensed an opening ‘yes…yes it is! Here Takeru talk to Daisuke…he and Ken seem to be going through a rough patch and they can use the advice of a good friend!’ (This honestly had to be karma from all those times he saved Takeru in the past…he sent a mental ‘thank you’ to the universe for this deed)   
He then shoved Hikari’s phone into Daisuke’s waiting hands and the other boy picked up a conversation without missing a beat to explain his side of the argument. Ken in the meanwhile had taken the moment to examine Jou’s purchases and Hikari’s phone and had clearly put two and two together.   
‘Hey Daisuke, maybe we can give Jou his phone back and call Takeru from one of our phones.’ The teenager suggested with a pointed look at Jou.  
‘Good idea Ken!’ exclaimed the younger boy before turning back to the phone ‘…hey Take-dork we’ll call you in a sec…Okay byee!’   
He then proceeded to hang up and toss the phone back to Jou with a grin.  
‘Here you go Jou-Sempai and good luck with your girlfriend!’  
‘Oh no…I don’t have one…’ Jou admitted as he quickly tucked the phone in his pocket and grabbed his shopping bag.  
‘I don’t see why not…Aspiring doctor to be, a nice guy from a good family and provider of ice cream…you’re an Asian family’s ideal son in law!’ Daisuke earnestly replied.  
‘Oh…thank you Daisuke.’ Jou replied, sincerely touched…they were both good kids at the end of the day.  
Nevertheless, he still bid them good bye and hurried away as quickly as possible as he saw them get on the phone and bother Takeru. Knowing if he stayed any longer he would be dragged right back into the argument or have Takeru badger him about something or the other.   
Being the oldest chosen was a difficult job….  
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………  
... Being the oldest chosen was a difficult job. Almost akin to being a parent, you’re the butt of all jokes, you get sassed back by the teenagers and you got not a whole lot of gratitude in return.  
Jou had immediately returned only to be pounced on by Koushiro, who demanded where he had been but offered no explanation as to why he was acting so anxious. He then spent several minutes knocking on the bathroom door as he waited for Hikari to retrieve the pads he brought for her and then he and Koushiro had made small talk as they waited for Hikari to emerge from the bathroom.  
Thankfully the girl looked like she was feeling much better and the afternoon actually took a nicer turn as the three of them ended up sprawled on the sofa, eating the cartons of ice cream he had bought and binge watching the first season of ‘Avatar the Last Airbender’ (Hikari presenting a compelling case on why Sokka was like an amalgamation of Jou and Koushiro and that convenience store ice cream was now her favourite thing ever). The two younger teens had even managed to get over what wired awkwardness was afflicting them as Hikari curled up with her head in Jou’s lap and feet on Koushiro’s.   
Okay…maybe he’d been exaggerating when he proclaimed being the eldest chosen was suffering.   
A thought he almost immediately regretted when Koushiro left to use the facilities and Hikari immediately started asking about his friend from earlier.  
‘So…Jou-Sempai…who was she?’  
‘Just a friend from school Hikari-Chan.’   
‘You wouldn’t blush or have her give me advise is she was just a friend Jou-sempai. You like her don’t you? Admit it!’ the younger girl replied teasingly.  
Jou raised his bowl of ice cream towards his face in an attempt to hide his red cheeks… Why did Hikari have to pick now of all times to act like an actual little sister?  
‘You’ve always been too perceptive for your own good Kid.’   
‘Maybe...’ She replied with an all knowing smile ‘…but I’m serious if you like her why don’t you ask her out? You’ve faced worse in the Digital world than a high school girl.’  
‘I’ll think about it…’  
‘Think about what?’ asked Koushiro as he re-entered the room. Both Hikari and Jou locked eyes for a minute before replying in unison that it was nothing. The trio then returned to watching the show before Hikari abruptly paused it and sat on the coffee table so she could face the two boys.  
‘Jou-Sempai…Koushrio- Kun…’ She started before taking their hands ‘I want to thank you for putting up with me today…’  
‘Hikari…. I’ll like to stress again that it was not a problem and you have nothing to be embarrassed about!’ Koushiro gently reminded her.  
‘Exactly!’ Jou chimed in ‘But if it helps we won’t tell anyone…especially not Taichi…don’t forget I have two older brother’s myself.’  
Hikari felt herself tearing up a little as she pulled both older boys into a hug.  
‘Thank you.’  
And she was really…thankful for the wired, dysfunctional family that was the chosen children.  
The moment was unfortunately broken as Taichi barged into the room with all the subtlety of a drunken elephant.  
‘Oh I’m sorry am I interrupting something?’ the bushy haired teen couldn’t help but ask.  
‘It’s a long story Onii-Chan.’ Hikari replied as an awkward silence filled the room, only made worse by Koushiro’s sudden exclamation as he realised he’d forgotten to fix Taichi’s laptop.   
As the red head rushed off and Jou twiddled his thumbs, Taichi looked around for some clue of what had happened, his eyes finally landing on Hikari’s half eaten ice cream.  
‘Hey look ice cream!’ He exclaimed before promptly taking a scoop.  
Hikari of course was not happy   
‘Oni-Chan that was mine!’ she yelled outraged.  
Jou suppressed a sigh as another argument started up and Koushiro absorbed in his work remained oblivious.  
Forget being the oldest chosen…being Jou was suffering!


	18. Memoriam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Hello everyone! Its been almost two weeks...I know I've not been updating as much as I did last year but 2017 has been rough.
> 
> I've had to make life decisions involving choosing between my career and personal life and stuff with my family members are...difficult and I lost both my grandmother and a childhood friend this year.
> 
> This chapter is therefore a wired one...not overly angsty or sad and a little disjointed but I've been feeling as such.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing
> 
> Memoriam- A Latin phrase meaning "in memory of." This phrase often precedes a name in obituaries and on tombstones.
> 
> In memory of a grandmother who was kind and lived her life to the fullest and my childhood friend who was taken much to young.

‘Is it okay? To part ways in this form…everyone would be sad.’  
Something struck her deep with those words… a fragment of a memory…the image of kind brown eyes framed by equally brown hair… an image of a face she never wanted to see in despair.  
‘Open your eyes!’  
And with that she was flung back as the monstrous yellow beetle roared his words. She found herself fighting against the fog in her mind, waking up, as if from a nightmare…only it wasn’t. Before her was not an enemy but a dear friend, one that allowed her to return to herself.  
She could see wisps of the purple infection seeping through Herkuleskabuterimon’s exoskeleton, she could feel it creeping under her skin. She could feel the presence of her fellow Digimon as they all realized what they had to do.  
A great sacrifice is required….  
As one they crowded around their insectoid brethren, embracing each other as friends and trapping Meicrackmon between them, brothers and sisters until the end.   
‘Thank you’   
And with that they surged forward as one unit towards the awaiting portal.   
The reboot was inevitable and the infection flowing in their veins insatiable.  
But they refused to go gentle in that good night, they would instead rage, rage against the dying of the light.  
And so they did, she could feel the change in the air as they entered the portal, it felt like fighting against the tide and she almost feared they would drown. But she could feel Hikari’s heartbeat through their connection, the ridges of Herkuleskabuterimon’s wings, the brush of Angemon’s fingertips against hers, the warmth of Birdramon’s fire, the smells of the earth and sea from Togomon and Ikkakumon, Wargraymon’s solid presence and Garurmon’s smooth fur.   
It was comforting and they could do this…they had to…for their partners!   
They did…just as the timer reached to zero and then…she felt weightless. Her body slowly disintegrating as the binary that composed her broke and scattered like leaves blown off a tree, mixing in with those of her friends.  
It was true what they say…she couldn’t help but muse…about your life flashing before your eyes as you died.   
She remembered days of loneliness, of waiting for someone that never came, of finding him and his sharp fangs and cold eyes…she remembered pain.   
But she also remembered Wizardmon, her kind friend who was lost to soon, she remembered losing him and finding Hikari, of gaining a new family…She remembered pink scarves and gentle laughter.  
‘I’m sorry about your friend…’ exclaimed Patamon as he nervously approached her, blue eyes so similar to her own. He waited for her to respond but when no reply was forthcoming he continued without hesitation.  
‘He seemed like a good guy and must have really cared for you…’  
‘What would you know? What would you know of what was going through his head?’ She heard herself snapping, annoyed that the little batpig was pushing his boundaries.   
‘I sacrificed myself for Takeru…for all our other friends but primarily for him…sometimes there’s just one person in your life you’d do anything for.’ Patamon replied earnestly  
She found herself rendered speechless for a few moments before turning away to look at the stars. ‘It’s harder to be the one left behind…’  
‘I know…I know I really hurt the person I care about the most but I had too! A world without him in it wouldn’t have been worth living in.’  
‘Patamon….’  
‘hmm…’  
‘How was it…dying?’  
‘It wasn’t the most pleasant thing…it didn’t hurt but I was…’  
‘What?’  
‘Content…content I’d protected my precious friend.’  
Patamon had been right all those years ago… for now, in her last moments of consciousness she did indeed feel content.  
‘Hikari…’   
And with that she lost consciousness like a candle blown out by the wind… her last thoughts being the promises of reunion and the sound of a whistle, lulling her to sleep like a soothing lullaby.   
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………  
Moments after the clock stopped ticking in the human world, the rebirth of the digital world began. Code amalgamated into blocks and those blocks built mountains, forests and rivers, expanding further and further onwards.  
It was then some days later, on the crest of a hill as the sun was rising (far away from primary village), that eight eggs hatched.   
YukimiBotamon opened her eyes for the first time to observe the digital world’s blue skies, everything was silent and still but for a gentle breeze (and the strange feeling of deja vu), she could feel the presence of the others born on this plateau, their soft and squishy bodies as they all huddled together for warmth (something she was grateful for…for some reason it felt like she should have been all alone). She felt a kinship with these other Digimon, for they were her brothers and sisters in every sense of the world…all of them felt they were missing something, forgetting something important but what that was, they could not remember.  
But what did it matter? They were babies and as of now they primarily wanted to play and explore. At first it was just cautiously around the plateau...eating the fruits that fell from the trees until they grew stronger and eventually evolved.  
She was now Nyaromon, just a little bit stronger and a little bit bigger and she was ready to explore the rest of the world with her friends. The little in training Digimon racing down the mountain, feeling a strange pull towards the lake of telephone poles. It was important they be there but none of them could quite remember why.  
It was on the way there that she found the whistle (though she wasn’t quite sure how she knew its name). It was dusk and she and the others had been playing hide and seek in a meadow…both fighting off a strange feeling of nostalgia (She had said goodbye to someone…but that would be silly. All the people she knew were by her side everyday), when there had been a gentle breeze carrying with it the smell of lavenders.   
It was calling to her and she was naive and curious about the world. In her innocence, the doubts and caution that would have plagued her in another life weren’t even an afterthought.   
She could hear Tokomon curiously calling out to here as she followed her instincts, as if in a trance. It was not long after she saw it, innocuously hanging from a tree, catching the light as it did so.  
She couldn’t shake of the inexplicable feeling it was hers (the problem was she wasn’t quite sure why) and that was why it annoyed her so much when Tokomon ran off to play with it.  
‘But it makes such pretty sounds!’   
‘But it mine! Its mine!’  
And before they knew it there were new creatures, summoned by the whistle, ones which didn’t look like any Digimon they had ever encountered.  
They claimed to know them (the problem was the Digimon couldn’t remember them no matter how hard they tried…and could they really live up to an image of the past? This version of themselves that only existed in the memories of another? Could they compare?)  
Instinct had her hiding behind the rocks with Tsunomon…until the smallest human came their way and extended her hand.   
Her eyes were brown, kind and full of light (it was utterly alluring…but the reasons for why alluded her…felt like they belonged to another life).   
‘Hi I’m Yagami Hikari…pleased to meet you!’  
She smelled like the whistle and it was utterly calming. Nyranomon found herself cuddling up to the girl, trusting her completely.  
She felt safe, like a part of her had come home.  
And it didn’t really matter that she couldn’t remember why.


	19. Frenemies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In honour of the latest tri movie...here is a super long (and Maiko free...though the last movies did wonders for her...I still needed less of her) chapter.
> 
> As always please leave a review and let me know your thoughts!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own knowing.

FRENAMIES 

Twas a beautiful day in the digital world. The sun hung proudly in the sky like a smug parent watching their progeny excel as the clouds rolled lazily by like the neighbours who really didn’t give a crap and wanted to go by their day. There was a gentle breeze playing with the flowers and trees accompanied by the gentle sound of a babbling brook.   
It was the picture of serenity… serenity that was hard earned and….  
‘Gosh I’m bored!!!’ exclaimed Tachikawa Mimi with all the subtlety of a bull in a china shop, the girl collapsing on the ground besides her friends with a frustrated sigh.   
‘Mimi!’ Sora exclaimed disapprovingly as the others who had been lulled into a half asleep state were startled by their friend’s exclamation.  
‘Come on Mimi-chan!’ Jou cut in to back up Sora ‘can’t you just enjoy the peace while it lasts?’  
‘Actually I kind of agree with her!’ Taichi butted in as he pulled himself into sitting position ‘things are a little dull around here. Plus we’re in the prime of our youth; we can laze round when we’re old and wrinkly!’   
Yamato snorted a little at that ‘Ahh yes, here comes the ADHD squad…what are we? Those soldiers that know no life outside of battle?’  
Hikari rolled onto her side from her position on the grass (disturbing Tailmon who had been tucked by her side in the process) and levelled Yamato with a reproachful look ‘Don’t joke about those things’ she remarked.  
‘Ugh…come on guys!’ exclaimed Mimi, disgruntled at the amount of opposition she was facing ‘When was the last time we did something fun together?’  
Takeru, who had been half paying attention to the conversation going on, looked up from his copy of ‘Wicked’ at that ‘She’s not wrong…’ he commented. ‘I mean, we don’t exactly spend a lot of time together as an entire group when there isn’t some sort of Digimon related crisis going on.’  
‘That’s not true…what about the Onsen trip?’ Sora pointed out, attempting to be the voice of reason.  
‘Oh yes…because that went sooo well!’ Koushiro shuddered at the memory of the girls seeing his bare behind ‘plus that did have a chosen children related purpose…’  
‘…Fixing Nii-chan and Taichi-San’s marital problems!’ Takeru ‘helpfully’ supplied with a cheeky wink at Hikari, who playfully high-fived him in response.  
‘… and Jou wasn’t there!’ Koushiro finished with a judgemental look at the younger pair.   
Jou rolled his eyes despite himself, internally monolouging about how whatever activity they participated in would not go well but externally saying in his most sarcastic voice ‘Then what sort of fun hijinks do you have in mind Mimi?’ (Because really at the end of the day he could never quite refuse her either)   
The girl frowned thoughtfully ‘I don’t know…any suggestions?’  
‘We could play some sort of team game…’ Hikari suggested.  
‘Ohh….like that time we played football!’ exclaimed Takeru.  
‘Oh yeah….because THAT went so well!’ Jou couldn’t help but point out, while Sora nodded solemnly by his side.   
The group lapsed into silence before Taichi shot to his feet with a triumphant yell, brown eyes shining with mischief and rubbing his hands together in a manner that would have made Mr Burns proud.   
‘What about ‘capture the flag’? Losing team must perform a humiliating task at the behest of the winning team and buy them dinner!’   
‘Taichi that’s a terrible idea!’ Sora was quick to concur ‘knowing us and with our partners here, things can get out of hand!’  
The Digimon however were interested to know what capture the flag was and all loudly made that point known (with the exception of the ever dignified Tailmon) yelling questions over each other.   
The silence was then broken by Hikari loudly blowing on her (well…Tailmon’s) whistle.  
‘Thanks Hikari!’ Taichi cheerfully shot his sister her second wink of the day, before proceeding to explain the rules ‘It’s simple; each team has a flag and the objective of the other team is to ‘capture’ it, once that’s done the game is over. During the game it’s possible to tag someone from the other team and jail them, they can be rescued by their team mates and get back into the game. The team which has the best strategy, teamwork and endurance are usually the winners…interested in playing?’  
His statement was then followed by a chorus of excited ‘yes’s from the Digimon (plus Mimi) and ‘Sure why not’s or ‘not like we have anything better to do’s from half the humans. Some however were still sceptical…  
‘This is not going to end well, let’s play something less likely to result in bloodshed.’ Scoffed Yamato ‘In all honestly this is gonna end in a battle royal…knowing us everyone may end up going to their mega levels.’  
‘Aww Yammy-poo are you scared of losing?’ Taichi replied mockingly.  
‘Alright that’s it…bring it on you sentient coconut tree!’ The blond yelled as he sprung to his feet, determination in his eyes.  
Sora placed herself between them with a defeated sign ‘this doesn’t solve the problem boys.’  
‘I know…the rule can be the Digimon remain at rookie level! Any digivolution means automatic disqualification!’ Takeru piped in helpfully, his book all but forgotten.  
‘Ohh and to make things interesting we can have each chosen and their partners on different teams, which would lessen the chance of a digivolution…’ Hikari cut in with a mischievous smirk to rival her brothers ‘…so if Takeru is on team A for example, Patamon is automatically on team B and vice versa!’   
‘Nice!’ Takeru shot his best friend an approving grin (one which was heartily returned…resulting in a disguised look from one of their older brothers and a muttered ‘get a room’ from the other…which was followed by a slap to the back of the head from Sora because really that was the wrong idea to be placing in the heads of two fourteen year olds of questionable relationship status)   
‘So we’re doing this then…’ said Jou with a resigned sigh ‘…well how we are going to pick teams?’   
‘We can draw lots!’ Mimi supplied ‘but let the Digimon draw them!’ she then indicated their excited partners with a smile.   
‘On it!’ Koushiro shut his laptop with a flourish and rushed to the riverbank, returning sometime later with 4 black pebbles and four white ones, he then levelled Takeru with a pointed look.  
‘Oh sorry!’ Takeru then removed his hat and handed it to Koushiro, who then tossed the stones in it and gave it a shake before holding it to the Digimon.  
‘Alright guys let’s get this game over with…’   
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………  
‘Before we begin…we need code names!’   
‘Why do we need code names Taichi?’ Sora cut in snarkily.   
‘Because Koushiro is on the other team and he’s gonna be monitoring everyone’s communications!’  
‘You realise we can all track each other’s movement using the digivices right…’ Mimi pointed out.  
‘Yep makes it kind of redundant but the range on those things are limited and it still sounds fun!’ Takeru happily cut in, to which Mimi after moments thought nodded in agreement.   
‘Great! First our digidudes… Gomamon, you’re ‘son of fish’!’   
‘…Well they’ll never guess who that it’ Sora commented sarcastically.  
‘…Tentomon your ‘sparky sparky boom bug’, Tailmon you can be… ‘Mufasa’ and Gabumon you’re ‘Jacob Black’’  
‘Umm Taichi…those codenames are hilarious but pointless….’ Mimi interrupted.   
‘Fine…I’ll make the ones for us harder to guess… I’ll be ‘Eagle One’… Meems, you can be ‘it happened once in a dream!’   
‘Well thank you!’ She replied with a wink.  
‘Sora…you can be ‘I’ll be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it!’’   
‘Taichi!’ Sora explained mortified   
‘And Takeru you can be…’ Taichi paused to mull it over, while Takeru tensed uncomfortably beside him ‘…Eagle Two!’  
‘Oh thank god!’ replied the newly named Eagle Two.   
‘Okay team, now we need to strategize…. We might not have the brain box himself but we’ve got the Chosen’s most experienced member, Sora you’re great at recon and Mimi is Mimi…with her multiple allies and unique brand of madness!’  
‘Thanks again Taichi,’ Mimi replied ‘but can I make use of my allies?’  
‘Well…the rules don’t explicitly state you can’t so it wouldn’t exactly be cheating as long as their participation is minimal.’ Takeru pointed out.  
‘Well then…I’ll have my little birds whispering in my ears in no time.’ the sixteen year old replied with a mischievous smirk.   
‘And we can have our flag situated on that small moving island…Gomamon can guard it with his marching fishes!’ Takeru supplied as he pointed to said island.   
‘I can move the island with their help too!’ Gomamon exclaimed excitedly.   
‘and I can help him guard!’ Mimi cut in ‘Me and son of a fish here make a good team.’  
‘Excellent!’ Taichi replied before turning back to Takeru ‘Eagle Two...you and Mufasa are our swifter members and know the lay of the land… happy to sneak up and get the flag?’  
‘Sure and I have an idea about who’ll they’ll get to guard their flag too.’ The blond replied with a thumbs up ‘but what about you?’  
‘I’m gonna be a diversion…cause a big ruckus…I do seem like the natural choice to barge in to grab the flag.’  
Sora gave him an approving grin ‘And let me guess, Tentomon…sorry…sparky sparky boom bug and I stay at a higher vantage point midfield, report on locations and help whoever needs it?’  
‘Atta girl! You and Tentomon can toss water balloons at the opposing team if you get bored. A few last things….Takeru do your baby brother routine and play with their heads and this will be the only time I’ll allow you to charm my sister and ladies…don’t be afraid to use your feminine wiles....’  
‘And you just ruined it…’ Sora face palmed   
‘Koushiro and Jou would probably freak out at the sight of a bra…’ Takeru cheekily added his two cents in (an attempt to distract them from his blush at Taichi’s comment).  
‘And what would you know about those things Kery-berry?’ Mimi cut in sternly, hands on her hips.  
‘Girls tend to throw their bras onto the stage whenever my brother performs…the band and I use them as slingshots during clean up!’   
Sora’s disgusted face was only beaten by the digimon’s confused ones, prompting the team to disburse towards their respective positions before one of them asked what a bra was and Tentomon specifically enquired about the physics behind using one as a sling shot.  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
‘Testing...three…two…one…everyone, do you copy?’   
A chorus of ‘affirmatives’ followed Koushrio’s statement as he made himself comfortable from where he was hidden in the nook of a small hill, Palmon contentedly humming by his side.  
The red head’s eyes were firmly locked onto the screen in front of him, where he was tracing everyone’s movements (was it just him or did it look like the other team’s flag was moving?).   
‘Yamato-san…the other teams members have started moving out, Taichi and Takeru are moving towards our flag from opposite directions and Mimi and Sora seem to be stationary for now.’  
‘Thanks Koushiro,’ Yamato’s voice cracked over the laptop ‘I’m going ahead with Agumon and Piyomon to cut of Taichi….no doubt he intends to cause a ruckus….hopefully with your help we can cause a big enough one causing Sora and whichever partner she has accompanying her to head my way…it should then give Jou a chance to sneak past and nab their flag.’  
‘…so basically you’re Kamakazing?’ Jou cut in dryly ‘…your sacrifice for one of Mimi’s silk scarves on a stick will be fondly remembered!’   
There was a snort from Hikari before Yamato testily replied ‘jokes on the other team…their prize is one of your well used handkerchiefs on a stick.’  
‘Exactly…who would want to come into the potential vicinity of another’s germs?’  
‘Your girlfriend is so lucky’   
‘I hope you enjoy your threesome of death Yamato.’   
‘It’s Taichi and Sora so you bet I will!’   
‘Yamato-San that’s disgusting and stop flirting guys! Time to get your heads in the game!’ Hikari interrupted.  
The banter thankfully ended in some good natured chucking from both teenage boys before the team got ready to address some more serious matters.   
‘Fine Hikari-Chan.’ Said Yamato (remembering full well the last time he competed against her) ‘you know what to do…ready to channel a very different Light Yagami?’   
‘You bet I am but don’t worry…I’ll try not to break either of our brothers!’  
‘Thanks kid!’   
‘They’re on the move people!’ Koushiro interrupted   
‘Autobots roll out!’   
‘Oh vey….’  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..  
‘There it is!’ Tailmon exclaimed excitedly as she and Takeru peered at the blue and white ‘flag’ from a safe distance away, located in a conspicuous piece of desert despite being surrounded by forest (no one could claim the digital world made sense).   
‘Is that one of Jou’s old handkerchiefs? What he hoping to scare us away with his germs?’ Takeru mused as he took in the surroundings…everything seemed to innocent but with both Jou (who packed with every outcome calculated according to Murphy’s law in mind) and Koushiro on the opposing team he would be surprised if there were no traps in the vicinity.   
‘Let’s proceed with caution…I can smell a decent amount of antiseptic… we can use that to try bypass what traps may be present’  
Tailmon and Takeru shared an understanding look…the smell was what brought them in this direction (that and the fact they knew who would be left behind to guard the flag…). Not that they had the best track record, having accidently tripped over a fishing wire a little earlier, which had dumped a load of leaves on their heads and narrowly avoiding getting showered with talcum powder (when did the other team have the time to set this up?)  
It wasn’t long before they saw Hikari in the distance, vigilantly eying her surroundings and marching back and forth in a manner befitting a soldier. Takeru and Tailmon then looked at each other and nodded, a plan having being discussed between them beforehand. Takeru sent a quick coded text to the others, knowing Koushiro, it was best to have someone tag him as soon as possible and watched as Tailmon scampered off the opposite direction, it wasn’t long before both he and Hikari noticed the glint of the sun bouncing off the digimon’s tail ring. He couldn’t help but suppress a grin as his best friend took the bait and took off towards the source, her back to him.  
Now was his chance!  
Takeru may have been in the midst of another growth sprit (shooting him above Koushrio’s height and he was catching up with the older boys) but his gangly limbs still held a certain amount of grace to them as he dashed across the sandy opening (basketball and years of running from rouge Digimon doing the trick). Fingers outstretched the teenager had nearly reached his goal….  
‘Boom bubble’  
And with that a wave of sand was flung in his face and obscured his vision. A second attack aimed near his feet soon followed, flinging the boy back a couple of feet to land relatively unharmed in the sand (the same could not be said of his dignity as he landed face first).  
‘Patamon you traitor!’ the boy cried in dismay as he spat out a mouthful of sand.   
The aforementioned Digimon just crackled in a way that was as adorable as it was diabolical (he was really too cute to play the villainous role very well) ‘Sorry Takeru but for the purposes of this game, you’re my enemy not my friend.’  
His sentence was then followed by an equally sinister laugh as a figure approached.  
‘Oh Takaishi…Did you really think something so pathetically rudimentary would work?’   
Ahh there she was…Yagami Hikari in the flesh…the embodiment of pure evil when she wanted to be (something he could very much attest to in his position as best friend), a sinister smirk and smug eyes jarring with her otherwise angelic features.  
His hat was then swiped from his head and held aloft triumphantly by his friend, who placed it on her own head with a satisfied smirk, Patamon landing on it soon after (the little cheating sonnova pig!)….looks like she was in the mood to toy with him.   
‘Where’s Tailmon?’   
‘Fallen into a trap, we had several nets around the perimeter….you two can be ever so predictable.’   
‘Your own partner? You’re both monsters! All you desire is to brutally crush us don’t you?’   
‘Yes…but only for this game.’ Patamon’s quickly responded.  
Hikari nodded in response, switching back to her usual persona ‘nothing personal, we’re still best friends after all this right?’   
‘Of course….our bothers try kill each other on a regular basis and are still beasties so we can manage this one time….Wait…Patamon, what are you doing?’   
The little Digimon was currently rubbing his rear on Takeru’s hat, followed by a series of squeaking sounds as Hikari casually wiped sweat from her brow, brown eyes never leaving his the entire time.   
‘Patamon are you farting on my hat?’   
‘Maybe, I ate a pack of wasabi.’  
‘Hikari you realise he’s farting on your head right…I’ve been his perch for six years, you think that would phase me?’   
‘He’s also rubbing it onto my sweaty head…you’re gonna smell of farts and dead flowers.’  
‘Please have mercy, my dead grandmother gave me that hat!’  
‘Both your grandmothers are alive.’  
‘That’s a cap from a famous baseball team.’  
‘You don’t give two hoots about that sport…bet you don’t even know what team it is.’  
‘A team that nevertheless doesn’t deserve to have its memorabilia contaminated by ode de la Hikari’’   
‘Wait are you saying Patamon’s farts are preferable to my BO?’   
‘If you’re gonna state the obvious…. For someone who mocked my super obvious plan this is a pathetic attempt at interrogation.’  
‘You’re so annoying…fine Patamon, you can use this trash hat as a toilet!’  
‘Hey! How dare you call it thrash…I think it’s cool and Koushrio gave me that hat…if I don’t wear the terrible hats my friends give me then how will they know I love and appreciate them?’  
Both Hikari and Patamon’s postures relaxed a fraction as they unwittingly let out quiet ‘awws.’ That was just the opening Takeru needed as he managed to dash from the sandy prison he’d slowly been working his way out of and towards Hikari, picking her up from under her armpits and spinning her around so she was further away from the flag (something that took little effort on his part, there were bags of peanuts that weighed more than Hikari…it didn’t matter that Hikari could say the same of him and even pick him up bridal style for a short period if she wanted to). Patamon had been displaced by the momentum and wouldn’t dare actually using his attacks when there was a good chance of hitting either of them.  
Takeru then set his fiend on the ground and rushed toward the flag, just as Tailmon sprung up from the nets she had fallen into (it was like the other team had forgotten she had claws). The blond linked his hands together the way a volleyball player would and used it to help launch Tailmon into the air and towards the flag.  
The other team however, recovered quickly as a blast of air headed towards Tailmon, the adult level was able to back flip and easily deflect it with her lighting paw attack, the force of it overwhelming her friend’s attack and knocking him into the sand. Nevertheless, having to do all that meant she lost her momentum and ended up landing back in Takeru’s arms. Both opposing teams then ducked behind nearby sand dunes.   
Taking advantage of the moment of reprieve, Tailmon started to whisper in her comrade’s ear ‘I was contacted by one of ‘It happened once in a dream’s’ spies, she and her partner have located the target and are dealing with him accordingly.’ Takeru grinned and high fived the Digimon in response ‘Great job, lets buy some time now!’   
‘I always knew there was a reason you were my second favourite human!’   
‘A worthy title indeed!’   
In the meanwhile Patamon and Hikari were also having their own hushed conversation. ‘They’ve figured it out! We need to request backup’ exclaimed the batpig from his position in Hikari’s arms, the girl nodded in response before pressing a button on the ear piece Koushiro had given ‘They figured out the barrier around our flag has a weak spot, fortify it and send help if possible.’  
‘I’m on it Hikari.’ Was the curt reply she heard from her friend before the connection was disconnected. Hikari then turned back to her best friend’s partner with a kind smile ‘So Patamon, think you can stay up in the air for a while? With all this sand there is only so high Tailmon can jump and you would be in position to deal with her.’  
‘Sure!’ replied the little Digimon cheerfully before a furrowed appeared in his brow ‘but don’t you think this is all rather dramatic, we’ve winged it a lot more on some of the actual battles we’ve been in!’  
‘But this is all playing pretend, go big or go home is what I always say…. you’re having fun right?  
‘A blast! Pun intended! What are you gonna do?’  
‘Provide a distraction.’   
‘I have a suggestion…use you’re powers of seduction!’  
‘Patamon no! Wait how do you even know that word?’  
The little Digimon simply shrugged and girl took a deep breath before dashing back out into the open as Patamon got into position.   
‘Oi Takaishi… Come out and face me like a man!’  
Takeru was quick to pop out from behind his sand dune, Tailmon perched on his shoulder like a parrot and oozing charisma ‘Well bonjour Madame Yagami, how may I help you?’   
It was like an old western standoff, brown and blue eyes narrowed as they seized each other up, Tailmon’s sharp eyes locked onto her fellow Digimon as he fluttered in the air (they both knew he lacked the endurance to say aloft as long as Tentomon or Piyomon). Both humans were an equal distance from the flag, Takeru had longer legs and was faster (an advantage when running on sand) but Hikari was with a flying Digimon blessed with a long range attack. It was for all intents and purposes a stand off, two Digidestined pairs that had always been equal in power…While there were valid reasons to have them in the roles they were, it really did show a lack of foresight on the part of both teams to pit them against each other (without at least changing things up a little).  
But really….it was what the bearers of hope, light and their Digimon wanted.  
After all what better challenge would there be than that presented by their equals and best friends? So both teens did what they did best as their Digimon entered an epic stare off…. They trash talked.   
‘I’d say ladies first…’  
‘That’s why I’m letting you talk aren’t I princess!’  
(score 1 to Hikari, Takeru might need some aloe vera for that burn)   
Takeru was able to recover quickly though, flashing his most charming grin (the one he knew could get her a little flustered…a little playful flirtation had become part of the dynamic between the two since hitting their teens) ‘Oh Moriarty…be still my heart!’  
‘That made no sense!’  
‘Not my fault witticism alludes you!’ (that’s right Takaishi…it was either charm or annoy her, the latter of which was working).  
‘Sure, Sure…is that a phone I see you reach for…are you gonna call Sora? Mimi? Taichi? Can’t even deal with little old me? Looks like your still that little boy from our first adventure…In fact I dare you to call one of them’ (that was below the belt and Patamon glared at her appropriately in response).  
Takeru’s eye twitched in response ‘At least I tried and succeeded in getting over my dependence on my brother.’   
Tailmon quickly flicked her tail against the back of Takeru’s head, Hikari may have started it but that was still a little uncalled for (Hikari was her partner at the end of the day so Takeru better change topics or her paw may slip)… nobody knew how to get under your skin the way a best friend did.  
Thankfully Takeru (despite usually being the more stubborn of the two… the whack to his head was proving more efficient than Patamon’s glare) got the message.   
‘Hey Hikari-chan… Sorry that was uncalled for…’  
Hikari’s eyes softened at that ‘…I’m sorry too…I got too into the villainous mindset.’  
‘Apology accepted….’ Takeru replied before levelling her with another of his charming 100 megawatt smile ‘…how about we ditch this dichotomy of rivals? Hikari-Chan it’s always been you and me….the babies of the first generation and the Obi Wan Kenobi’s to the second…lets work together as we always have and get the flag, share in the prize!’   
‘Wait are you trying to tempt me to the dark side?’ She responded flirtatiously while fluttering her eyelashes (two could play that game…), cocking her head to the side and placing a hand on her hip. It was an almost instant K.O.   
‘We have…cookies’ the blond replied a little nervously before getting back on track (the heat was probably getting to him because those simple actions made her look really attractive)… time to try a change of tactics.   
‘I’m afraid I’ll have to pass Princess! You suck at baking.’ Hikari replied mockingly.  
‘Alright then…I didn’t want to have to do this….’ Takeru then proceeded to hold up his phone, Mimi’s number on the display.  
‘Call off any back up, help or convince Koushiro to drop the shield or I’m calling Mimi.’  
Tailmon gave him an approving pat on the shoulder as she watched Patamon’s wings slowly start to waver. Hikari in the meanwhile raised a questioning eyebrow in response.   
‘What are you playing at Takaishi?’  
‘Tachy-poo is our resident gossip after all….I’m sure she’d love to know who was really responsible for the noodle incident!’  
‘You wouldn’t dare!’  
‘Oh I dare…How could you Hikari…letting poor Daisuke-Kun take the fall for you!’  
Hikari was silent for a few minutes as she watched him contemplatively, an evil smirk crossing her face a few moments later.   
‘You don’t have the guts to do it.’ She remarked calling his bluff.   
Takeru’s expression didn’t change, though his hand shook a tad ‘What makes you think I won’t Moriarty?’   
‘Then dial the phone Princess.’  
He hesitated for a bit before doing just that (Mimi probably had her phone on vibrate and while they could use their phones to contact each other in the Digital world, it always took longer to connect due to the sheer amount of digital energy in the vicinity).   
‘Contact Koushiro now and I’ll hang up the phone’   
Hikari visibly jumped at that as a look of panic crossed her features, before smoothening out.   
‘Fine….try tell her about the noodle incident…I’ll just scream over you about the time you convinced my brother to replace Yamato’s hair gel with lube and somehow got it into Taichi’s head it was his idea….and before you say anything…who do you think they’ll believe? The Chosen’s resident troll or sweet-old-me?’  
Ahh BFFs…always in possession of the best black mail material. Now Takeru and Hikari knew deep down the other wouldn’t rat them out, they were both bluffing but neither were going to yield yet.   
The phone continued to ring until it went to voice mail.  
‘Heyy this is Tachikawa Mimi…Sorry I can’t take your call, so please leave a message after the beep!’   
However, the sound of the beep was drowned out by the much more impressive ‘BOOM’ of the force field surrounding the flag disconnecting. Patamon startled by the sound and exhausted from his extended period in the air (there was a reason Takeru’s head was his preferred mode of transport…but that was also in part due to his laziness) faltered, a moment Tailmon took full advantage of to leap from Takeru’s shoulder, tackle him into the sand and proceeded to wrestle with.  
‘YES!!! THANKS MIMI!!!’ Takeru triumphantly yelled into the phone before running full speed towards the now defenceless flag.   
Hikari stood dumstruck for a moment as she watched her friend’s retreating back…Mimi had tagged Koushiro! A sudden sense of anger, frustration, determination and power flooded through her….She was not letting Takeru win after all this! It wasn’t check mate yet!  
She then launched herself towards her best friend with a dramatic cry, causing him to turn around (was it just him or was she glowing a little?) and let out a high pitched shriek as she collided with his midsection in a tackle that would have made her brother proud, the momentum causing the two to tumble away from the flag and back towards dense forest surrounding it.  
‘Get off me you crazy woman!’ He yelled as he struggled to loosen her grip (she was still his very much female friend and he wouldn’t dare use his full strength against her).   
‘Never!’  
Takeru momentary managed to break her hold and tried to run off again…only to have her grab the hem of his basketball shorts in an effort to prevent him from doing so resulting in said shorts being pulled down (revealing boxers patterned with the number 7) and tangling around his feet, resulting in the re-acquaintance of his face with the sand as Hikari managed to sit on his back and crackle like a witch.   
The two continued to struggle and fling insults at each other as Patamon and Tailmon watched with a mixture of shock and horror.  
‘Oh my gosh they’ve become their brothers!’ exclaimed Patamon in a dreamlike state.  
‘Well they are related to them….’ Tailmon trailed off before looking down at her friend, both Digimon then silently turned towards where the flag was hanging limply on the stick before returning to stare at each other.  
Oh yes the game…  
Quick as a flash Tailmon catapulted off her companion and towards the flag, hoping to end the madness.  
‘Oh no you don’t!’ shrieked the exhausted Patamon despite knowing he wouldn’t catch up. Mustering the last of his energy he launched an Air Shot directly at his fried, Tailmon quickly tried to counter but her attack colliding with his only served to create a small explosion that blew the flag (old hankie and all) to smithereens.   
Both Digimon could only watch dumbstruck as a small fragment fluttered to the ground.  
‘Oh well…’ Patamon gulped ‘I guess you can’t capture a flag that no longer exists…’  
Tailmon’s angry reply was however cut off by a shriek from her partner…seems both teenagers were oblivious to the explosion.  
Takeru had managed to get to his feet and was in the process of simultaneously yelling at Hikari to get off, pulling up his shorts and backing up against a tree, trying to dislodge Hikari who persisted in clinging onto his back, an arm wrapped around his neck. The girl then pulled the hat off her head and slammed it back onto her friend’s before pulling it over his eyes.  
‘Ah ha! Foiled by your stupid hat!’  
‘Witch!’  
‘Dickhead!’   
Takeru then tried one more attempt to remove her from his back, only to back over a root he couldn’t see and sending them both tumbling down a slope in the forested area, their Digimon yelled in horror and leaving the remains of the flag to go after them.   
Both teenagers screamed as they comically tumbled down the hill and landed in a large puddle of mud, both their egos and bodies bruised from the fall (thankfully being composed of data made them more resilient) and covered in foliage, sweat and god knows what else.   
It was as they lay entangled in the mud, breathing heavily, that they came to their senses…all of this over a stupid game!  
It started as a series of giggles, which then erupted into full blown laughter from the two of them until they calmed down.  
‘Friends?’ Takeru whispered breathlessly into Hikari’s ear from his position of top of her.   
‘Friends’ she agreed as she shifted underneath him in an attempt to get more comfortable.   
The two lay like that for a few moments as they got their breathing under control, each suddenly becoming increasingly aware of the position they had unwittingly ended up in and extremely conscious of the shape of the body pressed against their own.   
Their hormones were running rampant and this was hardly the time for it, Takeru in particular found his body reacting in a way he didn’t really want it to and quickly flung himself as far away from Hikari as he could.   
Oh no…Think of Okaa-san in a bikini…think of Tou-Chan in a bikini…think of Old Genni in a bikini! He yelled internally his face red and praying Hikari hadn’t noticed (that surprised gasp before he moved could have been in response to anything).  
‘Um…Takeru-kun…’ Hikari’s voice nervously started by his side.  
Oh shit…oh shit…oh shit   
‘Hikari I am so sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean for any of that to happen…you’re my best friend and...I think you’re beautiful and I respect you so much and didn’t mean for that to happen at all! I’m sorry embarrassed, I don’t know what’s wrong with me!’ he stuttered without looking at her   
‘Takeru it’s okay!’ She interrupted his ramblings ‘uh….I understand you can’t quite control it…I have a brother and I remember overhearing my dad explaining to him that it happens during puberty…you um…don’t always have control.’  
Well thinking of Taichi was the final nail in the coffin at that point but Takeru couldn’t muster the courage to roll to his side and meet her eyes, choosing instead to focus on a single cherry blossom overhead.  
‘You don’t think I’m a pervert…’  
‘Not at all, I didn’t tell you to move…a part of me… enjoyed our position…I guess it’s those darn teenage hormones’ She admitted with a nervous laugh (internally wincing at the last line she had uttered).   
‘Oh…’ Takeru stuttered before finally moving his gaze to meet her’s ‘thank you and I’m sorry for being a jerk back in the desert….you know threatening to blackmail you, calling you a witch and I’m really sorry if I hurt you while trying to dislodge you. Nice tackle by the way, very impressive.’  
‘That was self-defence and I was a jerk too…sorry for calling you a dickhead, trying to blackmail you back, assaulting you and pulling down your shorts…and umm, thanks.’  
The two looked back at the canopy for a few moments in awkward silence, letting everything sink in as the air was heavy with discomfort.  
‘Takeru’ Hikari started to speak, gathering her nerves she rolled over to face her friend.  
‘We’re not eight anymore,’ she continued once his blue eyes met hers ‘our relationship is different now and you’ve grown up and…I’m not sure how to word it.’  
‘I get it…our dynamic is changing and it seems natural with everything we have been through and we’re going to go through while growing up but it feels especially natural because…’   
‘…it’s you but I don’t know where this would go and what we already have is so great.’ Hikari finished.  
‘Yeah’  
And suddenly her head was hovering over his, the atmosphere transforming from awkward to something else (it was like that moment back at the Onsen all over again).   
‘You said I was beautiful…’  
‘Nah…I don’t recall.’  
Neither fully aware of what they were doing, it was like they were transfixed and they found themselves inching closer…  
‘There you two are! Are you alright? Hey Patamon I found them!’ came Tailmon’s relieved shout as she appeared on an overhanging branch. The two teenagers flung themselves as far away from each other as possible in response and the awkward tension returned with even greater force.   
‘What’s going on here?’ the adult level Digimon asked with a suspicious look, her questions halted as Patamon came shooting from between the trees to land next to his comrade.   
‘Ohmygosh are you two okay? Are you seriously hurt? Should we find Jou? We were so worried! The flag is gone by the way…Tailmon destroyed it!’ the little bat pig spluttered.   
Tailmon responded to this shifting of blame in a manner befitting a responsible adult…pushing her friend into the pool of mud between their partners (who they had clearly interrupted from potentially doing something stupid) and ensuring all three were thoroughly coated with mud. 

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
‘I’m on it Hikari.’   
And indeed he was, faster than flies on dung, Izumi Koushiro had strengthened the defences surrounding their flag, checked the communications flowing between the other team (the only one he had found was a curiously worded text about ‘Tomato Soup’ from Takeru) and was in the process of trying to get in contact with either Piyomon or Agumon to lend their team mate a hand.   
‘Oolong tea?’ asked Palmon amicably as she held the aforementioned heavenly (in Koushiro’s opinion at least…) drink in her hand. The red head choosing to delay the last of his tasks as he accepted her offer and took a gulp of the drink, savouring its taste.  
‘Thanks Palmon.’  
‘No problem!’ Mimi’s partner replied as she settled next to him and took a sip of her own drink.   
The two relaxed in comfortable silence as they took in the view from their position up the mountain…. Leave the competitiveness to the Yagami/Takaishida siblings and Sora, he was happy to use this as an excuse to appreciate the peace they had fought so hard for and try bond with one of the quieter members of their team. The moment however, was broken by the appearance of a Unimon, its shadow looming over their heads as the Digimon elegantly descended from the sky and onto the ledge close to them to drink some water.   
‘Unimon! Hi!’ exclaimed Palmon excitedly as she recognised him as one of her and Mimi’s allies from their first adventure.   
‘Palmon’ the larger Digimon replied amicably with a nod before returning to his drinking.   
Following their brief exchange Palmon was content to settle back against the Cliffside but was prevented from doing so when Koushiro excitedly squeezed her shoulder.   
‘Palmon…. You’re friends with Unimon right? Do you think you can get him to help us out?’   
‘Ummm….I don’t know Koushrio, Unimon might not appreciate it and its Mimi he’s loyal to not me.’  
‘Just ask him if he’s seen the other team’s flag…I doubt we have anything to worry about concerning Mimi, she’s never been the devious type.’   
‘Hmm….I think your underestimating her…’ Replied Palmon nervously as she eyed her human friend thoughtfully before deciding to play along with his suggestion (she was having fun bonding with one of the humans that weren’t Mimi or Jou for a change) ‘…alright.’   
The plant Digimon then squared her shoulders and headed towards the larger Digimon ‘Unimon….hey! How are you?’  
The other Digimon turned to meet her eyes (well she assumed he was, it was hard to tell with the visor) ‘Hello again…I am well...’  
‘Great! Uhh…’ Palmon replied nervously as she turned to Koushiro for support, the boy giving her a big grin and an encouraging thumbs up ‘…I was wondering if you’ve seen any of the other chosen or their partners? Or a flag perhaps?’   
‘What’s a flag?’  
‘It’s a piece of cloth on a stick…patterned with hearts…’ Palmon was quick to reply.  
‘You mean like that there?’ Unimon said as he gestured his head towards the river located directly below them, where the aforementioned flag waved innocently in the wind.   
‘Well what do you know…’ Palmon muttered as she stared at the flag in in surprise (where did that come from?) before remembering her manners ‘…thank you Unimon!’   
‘You’re welcome’ the Pegasus Digimon replied amicably before taking to the air and flying off into the distance without as much as a good bye. Palmon was left staring at the spot he had vacated her gut twisting with suspicion before turning back to where the flag (and the island it was located on) drifted lazily below her.   
This all seems too convenient….  
The plant digimon’s musings however, didn’t get much further than that as her companion called out to her.   
‘Hey Palmon…did he have anything useful to say?’   
‘Well…’ Palmon stuttered in response as she glanced back towards the flag, Koushiro took the hint and peered over the edge of the cliff to spy the pink and yellow flag below them.  
‘Prodigious!’ he exclaimed excitedly ‘this is perfect!’  
‘I donno Koushiro….this seems too easy…’   
‘Well of course they’re not going to leave their flag completely unguarded but look…’ the red head pointed towards a green dot on his laptop screen ‘it’s just Mimi…’  
‘You’re point?’   
‘It’s just her, we have the element of surprise and as I said before I doubt Mimi would be too much trouble anyways…’  
‘I concur and take offence at that…Mimi is my partner and she did throw Agumon, Gomamon, their partners and I in a dungeon once…plus the flag is surrounded by water! Gomamon is bound to be lurking around!’   
‘…and when was the last time marching fishes actually harmed anyone?’   
‘There was that time they slapped dark Gennai into submission….’ Palmon replied sceptically.  
‘It was a slapstick annoyance at most…’ Koushiro replied haughtily ‘….as I said we have the element of surprise, they have no idea we’re located here and think of it this way…the sooner we end this game the sooner we can go eat!’  
His green companion rubbed her chin thoughtfully in response ‘you do raise a compelling argument… but I’m not happy with how your belitteling Mimi and Gomamon.’  
Koushiro instantly turned red and waved his arms apologetically ‘I didn’t mean it like that….just that both of them are much less competitive and gentler than some of our other team mates… I’d be more worried if it was Taichi, Yamato or even Sora! I’m really sorry if you thought otherwise, please know that was not my intention!’  
He held his breath as the plant Digimon gave him an appraising glare, only releasing it when she let her green shoulders drop and uttered a forgiving ‘fine….your argument about the food really is too good to deny.’ The green Digimon then gave him a gentle smile in response before asking what the plan was.   
‘It’s a simple one... you use your poison ivy attack to lower me down towards the flag….mission impossible style if you will, I grab it and you pull me up… we do this as a quick in and out…remember we know where they are but they don’t know where we are! But just to play it safe…’ the boy quickly clicked on his speaker, before just as quickly blocking the feed from Hikari the minute he heard her utter ‘…are you trying to tempt me to the dark side?’ in a voice way to seductive to have any business coming out of any girl’s mouth, particularly one as sweet and of the classical ‘baby sister’ archetype as Hikari.   
‘What the Fuck was that?’   
‘Well, I’m now irreparably scarred for life….’  
Turns out Jou and Yamato who had tuned in at the same time thankfully shared his sentiments. The three wallowed in a mutual disturbed silence until Jou decided to speak up.   
‘So, Koushiro…why did you call?’   
‘Oh right sorry….Hikari needs a little help defending our flag. Would either Piyomon or Agumon be happy to help?’   
‘I’m happy to go!’ Piyomon cut in over Yamato’s line ‘I can fly so I’ll get their faster!’ she finished over her fellow digimon’s ‘rub it in why don’t ya.’  
‘Great thanks!’ Koushiro replied before bidding his team mates adieu and retuning his gaze to the flag below him, the following thought fluttering through his head;   
It sure would be nice to be the ‘one that wins the day’ for once. (Not that he was bitter… he knew he was probably further away from the typical ‘masculine’ archetypes than any of his male friends [heck Sora had thrown more punches or rocks at a villain then he ever had] but he also knew without a shred of narcissism that he more than pulled his weight with his computer expertise… but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a little insecure at times…as any teenage boy is bound to be.)   
‘Koushiro-kun are you ready?’ Palmon interrupted him with a tender smile.   
‘Not really but I’m excited none the less…’ he replied returning her smile with a determined one of his own. The two nodded to one another and Koushiro approached the edge of the cliff cautiously, the Mission Impossible music playing in his head and his adrenalin soaring like a falcon as Palmon’s vines secured themselves around his torso.   
‘Alright Palmon… let me down as soon as I give the signal!’   
The plant Digimon grunted in confirmation as she braced herself against a rock, Koushiro’s brown eyes scanned the island below looking for the perfect opportunity, noticing as Mimi turned away from his direction and waved frantically at someone he couldn’t see, before disappearing to the far side of the island.  
‘Okay now!’  
And then he was plummeting towards the flag….the wind whipping his hair as he reached terminal velocity was absolutely exhilarating. Then with a sudden lurch the experience was over as quickly as it begun with him stopping barely an inch over his intended destination.  
Well that had to be one of the coolest flipping things I’ve ever done!  
Grin fixed on his face and ideas on what food he’ll have for dinner (the drink was a no brainer) filtering through his head, Koushiro reached for his prize.  
For the poor boy however this elation would be short lived… before he knew what hit him, the teenager felt a series of scaly fins hit his face and while they didn’t hurt, they did succeed in have him comically spin 360’ and entangling him in Palmon’s vines until they encased him like a cocoon. His ears were soon assaulted with the sounds of snickering once the dizziness passed.  
‘You just got fish slapped son!’ yelled a triumphant Gomamon as he shoulder bumped Palmon in celebration, the plant Digimon tighted her hold on the squirming teen below as her friend helped support her, a mischievous grin on her green face.   
‘Palmon! You were working for Mimi the whole time?’ Koushiro yelled up at her aghast.  
‘Sorry Koushiro-kun….Mimi is my partner and she promised me cookies. For what it’s worth, I did enjoy spending time with you.’  
The red-head gasped in horror ‘You’re not sorry at all! Not since Terra backstabbed the Teen Titans has a betrayal stung so keenly!’  
‘What?’   
‘Let me try clarifying that for you Pally…’ Gomamon cut in before poking his head over the cliff edge ‘…Comic or cartoon?’  
‘Both!’   
‘Wow, you’ve really stung him Pally! He may need therapy!’ the smaller Digimon commented to his teammate, his smile only widening once he registered her still very confused face ‘What? A seals’ gotta occupy himself while his human studies hard to bring home the future bacon!’   
‘Arghh…Forget about it! Unimon gave you a lift up here for a reason, now help me keep a good hold on our captive so I don’t drop him’  
‘I’ll move the island so he’s dangling over the water then…’   
Koushiro remained suspended and uttery bored as the two continued with their banter and Gomamon’s fish friends moved the island a safe distance away. Swallowing back a sigh as the sound of soft footsteps approached him, he met the amber eyes of his captor.   
‘Well I owe several people an apology…’  
‘Unnecessary apology is unnecessary…’ Mimi grinned before poking him in the forehead ‘…Well Mr Smarty Pants… looks like you’ve have been tagged!’   
‘Great now can you let down?’   
‘But Koushie-Kun, we’re just getting started!’ the girl grinned before raising her right hand into the air, his prized laptop being deposited into it by two of Gomamon’s marching fishes a minute later.   
Koushiro’s heart dropped ‘What’s going on here!’   
‘I was informed by an Eagle Two that your team had a pesky force field around your flag, be a dear and disable it for me.’   
‘Never! Get your perfectly manicured hands off my custom built baby!’   
‘No can do Koushi-Kun…’ Mimi replied as she causally opened his laptop ‘looks like I’ll have to try get in myself….I really hope my hand doesn’t slip…’  
‘You diabolical bitch…’ Koushiro muttered, impressed despite himself ‘…you wouldn’t dare damage our ticket out of here.’   
The laptop was quickly shut and Mimi’s amber eyes were back on his ‘I can’t deny that’s true.’ She replied as she held the laptop by her hip, a breeze causing her hair to blow opposite the direction of the flag carried her signature scent of cherry blossoms as she advanced towards him like a panther approaching its pray ‘…but I also want to win, now be a lamb and help a girl out…I’ll grant you any request.’   
‘Well, I do have a question…’  
‘Yes…’  
‘Why is there a fan behind you?’  
‘Oh Shit…..’ Mimi exclaimed, breaking whatever ‘seductive’ atmosphere she had managed to create and turning back towards the two tiny Digimon hiding with the said fan behind the bushes ‘…Otamamon, Gekomon get rid of it!’   
‘Yes Princess Mimi!’ they hasted to obey...by pushing said fan into the water. The contraption sparking as it hit the lake and several dead fish floating to the surface thereafter.   
‘Well that was a bit of a blunder…’ Palmon grunted as Gomamon helped support her ‘…are you sad about the dead fish?’   
‘Why would I be? I’m a seal, we eat fish… it’s natural selection. They’ll just be someone’s dinner!’   
‘But you have an attack called marching fishes?’  
‘Your point my dear Palmon?’  
‘Aren’t those fish your friends? I fail to see the difference here…’  
‘Silly Palmon, my marching fishes are sentient ones! They’re not for eating!’  
‘Your fish raise so many questions!!!’   
Mimi laughed sheepishly as the two chosen Digimon debated above them, clearing her throat and attempting to save face while Koushiro looked thoroughly unimpressed.   
‘Well…’ the teenager continued with a filp of her hair, acting like the exchange had never take place ‘…where were we? Oh yes! You were gonna help me disable the force field…now, I’m not a girl that likes to use force…’  
‘You have me tied up, hanging four feet from the water and smelling like fish.’ The boy interrupted sternly, really not in the mood to take any of her shit.  
‘Let’s not focus on the trivial stuff…I was about to offer you a kiss!’ Mimi replied back without losing a beat, stepping forward and pressing Koushiro’s laptop against her chest as she did so, fluttering her lashes as what was previously a relatively modest tank top revealed some cleavage. Her smirk turning into a triumphant one as she realised Koushiro was looking where she wanted him to (why, he was almost drooling…)  
‘I can’t…’ he replied after a nervous gulp.  
‘Why are you scared about what Yamato would do to you?’  
‘No…Hikari…Yamato always had more bark than bite…’  
‘But…’ She drawled as she came within kissing distance ‘…surely a little kiss…maybe two… would make it worth it? I know you have a little crush on me.’   
‘That may have been true…’ the boy replied before looking up to reveal a wicked smirk ‘but that was just a stupid phase…’   
Just above them Palmon’s scandalised gasp of ‘how dare he!’ while Gomamon yelled ‘Oh snappp!!’ could be heard. The aforementioned Digimon looking down upon the two humans with wide eyes like spectators in a cinema hungry for action (it almost helped distract them from the fact it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep Koushiro aloft as gravity did them no favours and the wind strengthened).  
‘I bet you half my dinner that Koushiro thinks his was out of this confrontation…he’s got Mimi on the ropes!’ Gomamon whispered to his friend excitedly, his green eyes never once leaving the duo beneath them.  
‘Nah…he made a fatal mistake when he pissed off Mimi, so much for the crest of knowledge…he’s done for! He’s doubly a gonner if she brings out the crocodile tears!’  
Palmon wasn’t wrong as her partner on the island below was fuming ‘Excuse me…I’m just a stupid phase? Do you really think so little of me? We’ll I’ve got news for you buster, the ‘egocentric’ girl you thought was so incapable of outthinking you is the one that has you strung up like a fish in a net.’   
‘Wait… I didn’t mean for you to take it that way…Mimiii…’ Koushiro whined as guilt started seeping into his gut.  
‘Shove it…I tried to be nice but it looks like I’ll just have to play about with your precious baby instead! Maybe I’ll just shut it down!’  
‘Noo! You don’t know what you’re doing!’  
‘Uhhh… Princess Mimi….your phone is ringing…’ Otamamon cut in sheepishly.  
‘Look, just let it go to voice mail..’ the girl replied as calmly as she could (she wasn’t taking her anger out on others when this was all stupid Koushrio’s fault…they might be friends but at times they could really bring out the worst in each other much more than any chosen pair bar Yamato and Taichi could.) while tossing her mobile to Gekomon.  
‘Now where was I?’ she questioned as she flipped open the device and hovered her finger over the power button.  
‘Mimi…I’m warning you!’ growled Koushiro, all guilt disappearing as Gomamon and Palmon gasped in anticipation above them and the vines around him loosened enough for him to get his arm free.   
Suddenly a triumphant ‘CHARGEE!’ followed by a ‘I’m never letting you through!!’ followed as Piyomon and Tentomon engaged each other in what looked like the tail end of an epic aerial battle, which then promptly and anticlimactically ended in both Digimon flying headfirst into each other with a loud thud, tumbling towards the ground below and succeeding in distracting all the witnesses present.  
‘What the…’ muttered Mimi in shock as she stared at the place where the two flying Digimon had been moments before she caught something flying at her out of the corner of her eye.   
It seemed that little bout of randomness had distracted all but Izumi Koushiro as he took that moment (and advantage of a large gust of wind) to launch himself towards his laptop. Above him Palmon gave a cry of surprise as the momentum jolted her, causing her to let go of her prisoner (and would have nearly launched her off the cliff if Gomamon didn’t catch her).   
Koushiro flew towards his laptop like a man possessed, Mimi only just managing to dodge and watch as her fellow chosen crashed into the bushes Otamamon and Gekomon had previously been occupying.  
The red head soon dragged himself out of the foliage muttering a few pathetic sounding ‘owws’ as elation spread through Mimi.  
‘Ohh yeah! I totally dogged that like a boss! Go Mimi! Go Mimi!’ she sang in jubilation as she danced a victory dance in response. The girl then stopped to smile at her friend and offer him a sympathetic hand up.  
‘Honestly Kou…that was such a stupid thing to do…’  
‘I know…I know…’ he winced in response ‘…I guess you win this round…I’ll help you disable that shield. It’s the least I can do….But tell me, why all this trouble? You could have just sent Tentomon to fly over or disable the shield with an electric bolt?’  
‘Thanks Koushiro! And what fun would that be? I might as well ask why you didn’t get Palmon to grab our flag herself or ask Piyomon to swoop in and nab it…’ she replied, seeming to have forgiven him completely as she backed away to let him stand. ‘I don’t mean to beat a dead horse but you could have broken this bad boy!’ she said giving the laptop a fond pat as she took a dramatic stepped back for emphasis.  
That little piece of theatrics unfortunately did not prove to be the wisest decision as the move put her in the direct path of a seagullmon that had picked up one of the dead fish, the small Digimon letting out a startled cry as it lost its grip on dinner in an attempt not to hit the girl before him. Unfortunately for Mimi…his dinner ended up whacking her in the face as the Digimon’s wing clipped her head. The chosen child of purity reacted as any human would in such ridiculous circumstances…by screaming at a pitch high enough to blow out a man’s ear drums, flinging her arms up in an attempt to guard her face and accidentally sending Koushiro’s pineapple laptop soaring from her hand and into the air. Both teenagers and assembled Digimon could only watch in horror as it arched into the sky and fell almost in slow motion.   
‘Noooooo!!!’ Koushrio screamed as his precious laptop hit the ground and smashed into various pieces, some parts even landing in the water.   
The Digimon stared silently with various degrees of horror and equal degrees of ‘oh shit!’ written across their faces as Mimi covered her mouth muttering ‘I’m sorry’s and Koushiro babbled incomprehensibly. The moment was however, broken as Mimi’s phone (still clutched in Gekomon’s hand) reached the voice mail section…  
‘Heyy this is Tachikawa Mimi…Sorry I can’t take your call, so please leave a message after the beep!’   
This was followed by what sounded like an explosion and Takeru’s exhilarant yell of ‘YES!! THANKS MIMI!!!’ soon after.   
Gomamon and Palmon could only watch in horror as both humans below them burst into tears.  
‘Gomamon…lets vow never to play capture the flag again…’  
The aforementioned Digimon, shocked into silence, could only nod dumbly in response.   
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
Sora was pleasantly surprised to admit that she was having fun. Sure, she had preached that playing this game would be a disaster and usually participating in such an activity would have her competitive spirit flaring up but having scored first place at the inter school tennis tournament….the competitive juices were rather low at the moment. What Sora had needed after an intense year (both school and Digiworld wise) was just to kick back, go with the flow and have fun. And so far she had been…the teenager had utilised some of her more ninja like skills from their first adventure to sneak around, chat with Mimi, launch some water balloons at both Taichi and Yamato (which was especially cathartic…why did her somewhat boyfriend and his boyfriend have to be such idiots?) and gossip with Tentomon.   
‘…and that’s how our last blackjack game went…..ohhh I still see the carnage from the great snack civil war when I close my eyes….’   
‘Poor Koushiro would have had quite the shock in the morning!’  
‘Don’t worry he’s none the wiser, we stayed up all night to cover up the evidence!’  
Sora let out a snort as her companion continued on with his tale, her brown eyes lazily scanning her surroundings as she absent-mindedly tossed her last water balloon from one hand to another. It was on the tail end of Tentomon recounting how the exhausted Digimon had all tried a bit of Tailmon’s sake and immediately hated it that she spotted a familiar pink blur.   
‘Shhh Tentomon!’ she shushed her companion before ducking behind some rocks ‘look up ahead!’   
‘That’s Piyomon…’ her companion replied   
‘…and she’s heading towards where Takeru, Mimi and Koushiro are.’ Sora finished for him after consulting her digivice. She had seen the youngest’s text from earlier (‘tomato soup’ being code for capture Koushiro). Currently Takeru was targeting the flag, while Mimi had Koushiro in her sights….Piyomon’s presence could ruin either of those plans.   
‘Tentomon…would you like to turn the status quo of the early bird gets the worm….or should we say bug…on its head?’   
‘With great pleasure Sora-han!’ the ladybug Digimon replied cockily before zipping off after her partner.  
‘Don’t get too crazy okay! It’s just a game!’ Sora called after him, before releasing a fond but defeated sigh as the two Digimon immediately engaged in what was hopefully a playful aerial battle.  
Urghhh…. What am I going to do with them? Sora couldn’t help but think as she placed her hands on her hip and shook her head fondly. Well aware she was in what her friends would call her ‘mom-friend mode’ (and she would be lying if she denied a part of her didn’t love it). Placing the remaining water balloon on her lap, the teenager settled down on a nearby rock to watch the two Digimon in the sky, only looking away when her digivice beeped. The seventeen year old gave it a curious glance, not much had changed from the last time checked: The blue and orange dots were still circling each other and the rest of the kids were still out of range….all except for one of them. The red head’s lips curled into a mischievous smile as she took note of the grey dot approaching her location.   
‘Looks like Jou-Sempai is out to play!’   
Moving swiftly the girl situated herself behind the rocks she had been sitting on, holding her projectile aloft in anticipation of the eldest chosen’s arrival in the shallow ravine below her. Her intended target appearing not long afterwards, seemingly oblivious to the trap that had been laid for him.  
‘Hmmm….Sora-Kun should be somewhere here…’ he muttered as he moved his gaze from the digivice in his hand to his surroundings. A move that proved fortunate as he spotted the water balloon heading his way. He succeeded in preventing it from hitting him in the face as he scuttled back but was not fast enough from preventing it hitting the crotch of his jeans.   
‘Ughhh…SORA!!’ he moaned in annoyance as the laughing ginger gracefully slid down the slope to join him.  
‘Sorry Jou-sempai it was too good an opportunity to miss!’ Sora replied with a grin (not sounding sorry at all). Jou however remained unimpressed.   
‘It looks like I’ve wet myself!’  
‘I guess you could say that hit was….below the belt!’   
‘Leave the bad puns to Patamon please’ the elder teenager shot back as he stalked up to her before poking her shoulder ‘and by the way it’s a common villain mistake to stand around, laugh and revel in your victory….now you’ve just been tagged.’  
Sora facepalmed as she realized her mistake ‘Oh crap your right!’   
‘Revenge is sweet….’ Jou deadpanned, to which Sora rolled her eyes in response.   
‘Don’t roll your eyes at me young lady!’  
‘Whatever Dad….’ Sora replied huffily ‘…what have you been up to by the way?’  
‘Making sure everyone doesn’t kill each other….Yamato and Taichi are being their usual selves, Takeru and Hikari are playing a retarded game of cat and mouse and Mimi has Koushiro in some bondage trap thing…..’  
‘Now, now Jou-sempai you’re no fun…you need to play along with the other kids you know!’   
‘Whatever you say Mother!’   
The two then glared at each other for a while before bursting into laughter.  
‘Our friends our idiots….’ Jou chuckled as Sora wiped a tear from her eye.  
‘…but we love them anyway don’t we?’ she finished for him with a grin.  
‘Love is rather subjective here….’ Jou replied with an exaggerated stroke of his chin ‘….I feel tolerance with a hint of affection is more appropriate.’   
Sora punched him playfully in the arm in response before drawing her gaze back up to the sky where Piyomon and Tentomon we’re still duking it out.   
‘Should we stop them?’ Jou queried as he followed her line of sight.   
‘….huh…Oh, um... I’m not sure….what could we do to stop them when they’re that high up?’ Sora replied.  
‘Fair point….’   
The two fell into a slightly awkward silence as they watched the airborne Digimon duke it out before Jou snapped out of his daze and motioned for her to follow him.  
‘So where are we going Jou-sempai?’   
‘To the designated jail.’  
‘Does this one have a force field or particle barrier around it too?’ Sora couldn’t help but ask sarcastically.  
‘Nah, just Ogermon standing watch and setting the captive free once the would be rescuer figures out his riddles.’   
‘That reeks of classic Takeru but as he’s on my team I’m going to have to say that was Yamato’s idea.’  
‘Wow Sora…..how ever did you guess?’ Jou deadpanned as Sora giggled next to him, the earlier awkward silence transitioning into a comfortable one as the ‘parents’ of the Digidestined strolled towards the lakeside. Feeling in a particularly nostalgic mood however, Sora was quick to break the silence.  
‘Remember the island of Bakemon?’ she asked turning to look at her much taller friend.  
Jou stopped walking with a chuckle and turned to face her ‘How could I forget? It was sweet of you to try build up my confidence but leading was never for me…’  
‘Oh I’m not sure….’ She replied gaily ‘…you’ve come a long way since then.’  
‘As have you Sora-san and…’ Jou stopped mid-sentence and his dark eyes widened with shock before he screamed ‘…Duck!!’   
Before Sora could so much as follow his line of sight she landed on her butt in a pile of dirt, Jou sprawled on his side close to her, his shirt smoking as a ball of fire and electricity shot over their heads. Sora shot to her feat in surprise and turned round to inspect the dirt patch on the seat of her jeans.  
‘Jou, why’d you do that for? It looks like I’ve shat myself!’  
‘Aww your welcome Sora!’ Jou replied sarcastically before adding ‘if it makes you feel better it looks like I’ve pissed myself and my shirt is smoking…so I guess we’re all just having a crappy day!’   
‘Don’t you take that tone with me young….look out!’ Sora yelled as she tackled him away from another errant blast and straight into river. The two teenagers emerging spluttering a few moments later as they observed the aerial fight between Piyomon and Tentomon had long since ceased to be playful.  
‘I literally eat bugs like you for breakfast!’ the pink bird bellowed as she shot her green flames towards her opponent, while Tentonmon swiftly dogged it and was quick to counter with his own attack.  
‘In that case I will avenge my insect brethren you vile predator!’ he cried dramatically before setting off after her.  
‘I knew playing this game was a bad idea!’ Jou bemoaned as he sprung to his feet, Sora not far behind him.  
‘I’m not arguing with you there!’ Sora cut in before yelling after the two warring Digimon ‘Piyomon! Tentomon! You two are supposed to play nice! Don’t make me come up there!’  
‘We’re serious!’ Jou was quick to back up his friend ‘If you don’t stop right now…don’t expect us to treat your wounds!’   
But alas all that yelling was in vain as the battling Digimon heard none of their berating, being so caught up in their battle they didn’t even notice that the two teenagers were in the vicinity. The angry yelling from the two turned into screams as a combined attack from the Digimon hit the river bank, spraying the two with sand and pebbles. Sora once again opened her mouth to try stopping them before Jou grabbed her hand and urged her out of the water.  
‘A tactical retreat might be in order Sora!’ was all he said before the two found themselves screaming again once more and running away from the digimon’s stray attacks.   
‘Dear god we’re gonna die in the most ironic way possible!’ he was quick to moan as he and Sora dashed into the forest in an attempt to hide from their oblivious attackers. Sora was quick to agree with his logic until things went from bad to worse as the two tripped over a wire shooting talcum powder into their faces and blinding them. Following which they set off another which almost buried them under a mound of leaves, forcing the two to exit the forest sputtering.  
‘I’m gonna strangle the idiot who laid those traps with my bare hands!’ Sora seethed as Jou chuckled nervously next to her before quickly dragging his friend under a nearby outcropping of rock as Piyomon and Tentomon were quick to shoot past them yelling obscenities and firing attacks. Thankfully hiding there had offered the two old friends the moment of reprieve they needed as they attempted to regain their breath while they clutched onto each other for dear life.   
‘We….really….need to find some of the other Digimon…. and have them… break up…this fight.’ Jou panted out between gasps of air.   
‘I am going…to give…both of them a…stern…talking to…when this is over!’ Sora gasped beside him before slowly unwinding an arm from around Jou to push back her sweaty bangs and try calm her racing heart. Unfortunately for the most mature of the chosen, reprieve was not really in the cards for them that day.  
‘Jou…Sora…is that you? You both look awful!’ asked Gabumon as he peered under the outcropping where they were hiding.  
‘Gabumon, what are you doing here?’ Sora asked purposely ignoring the digimon’s latter statement (she could see Jou tense up behind her…this could not be good…)  
‘It’s Taichi and Yamato….’  
‘What have they done now?’ Jou was quick to cut in.  
‘Just…follow me and see…’   
Five minutes later the exhausted duo came across a concerned Agumon comfortingly rubbing the backs of the two aforementioned boys, both of whom were curled in a foetal position with their hands over their crotches. The positions themselves were self-explanatory but that didn’t stop Sora and Jou seeking further clarification as they looked down upon the ‘injured’ duo.   
‘Did you special snowflakes somehow kick each other in the balls?’ Sora couldn’t help but smirk sadistically, her grin only widening when she was met with groans of affirmation in response.   
‘They also managed to punch each other in the face’ Gabumon was quick to add with a long suffering sigh   
‘At the same time!’ Agumon chipped in with a worried glance as the two humans on the ground.   
‘Well the Yagami and Ishida family names are dead.’ Jou was quick to reply as he winced sympathetically for his friends ‘Sora lets go find that ice box of drinks these two geniuses brought.’  
Sora quickly shot the two boys below her another smirk as she and Jou went to retrieve the ice box. Once retrieved, Jou pulled out two ice packs and handed them to the grateful seventeen year olds.  
‘Thanks guys…’ Yamato muttered as Taichi grunted in agreement besides him, their Digimon shooting the two newcomers thankful looks as Sora kneeled in between the boys and gently stroked their hair   
‘My bakas’ She whispered fondly as Jou plonked himself next to her with a tired sigh.  
‘Well that’s one crisis dealt with…Hey Agumon, Gabumon! Do you guys think you can give us a hand with…’ Jou started before he was interrupted by the bloodcurdling battle cries of two tiny digimon.  
‘You shall not pass!!’  
‘I’ll never let you through!!’   
The blurs of pink and red then collided with each other with a sickening crash, its participants tumbling to the ground unconscious moments later. Resulting in poor Sora and Jou screaming and leaping to their feat for the hundredth time that day.   
‘Hold on baby Momas’ coming!’ Sora yelled as she and Jou both managed to catch the falling Digimon (in a spectacular fashion mind you). The two then shakily stood with their charges in their arms, attempting to calm down.  
‘More patients to treat…I should just become the digital world’s first doctor.’ Jou joked in an attempt to lighten the mood as he and Sora gently set down the unconscious duo, checked their vitals and placed ice packs on their heads.   
‘You’d be rich if you did.’ Sora replied, her matter subdued as the conflicting emotions of worry and anger at her partner battled within her. Both teenagers hoped this incident would be the last of the catastrophes they would have to deal with today but fate however, had other plans. As the two looked over their charges, they would soon learn that rest was not in the cards for them as their phones started ringing in unison.  
‘No rest for the wicked huh?’ Sora smiled resignedly as she started opening her phone, just about catching Jou’s nod of agreement from the corner of here eye.   
‘Moshi Moshi.’  
‘Soraaaaa….’ The voice on the other end of the phone wailed before dissolving into a mixture indecipherable gibberish and anguished sobs.  
‘Hello? What’s wrong?’ Sora asked a mix of alarmed and concerned, only for those emotions to quickly become confusion as the caller hung up. Jou in the meanwhile was not having much luck himself.  
‘Tailmon, what do you mean by they fell down a hill?....Well there’s no need to sass me! I’m only trying to help!’ the boy cried before removing his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration ‘where are you? You’re out of my digivice’s range…. It doesn’t help if you don’t know….oh, they can walk just fine is it?...No bleeding?...The only major injuries are to their dignity you say?... alright then, well if you’re going to come to me I’m at the lake with their older brothers, both of whom have compromised the family jewels….thanks, I’m proud of that too! Anyways I’m at the lake with the trolley so I’ll wait for you here…..bye Tailmon!’ Jou said as he hung up with a huff before releasing a frustrated groan at seeing all four of his injured charges sprawled on the ground around him. Sora offered him a comforting pat on the back,  
‘Idiots the lot of them,’ she offered sympathetically causing Agumon and Gabumon to glance wearily at the two pissed off teenagers and move to stand protectively over their ‘fallen’ friends/partners.  
‘Why don’t you two sit down and try relaxing until the others get here?’ Gabumon suggested in his gentlest (and most diplomatic) voice.  
‘Yeah…try some of the ginger beer Taichi, his dad and Yamato brought and leave the mother henning to us for a change.’ Agumon was quick to supply, gesturing a clawed hand towards the aforementioned drinks….a decent distance away from where the group was huddled. The two teens were quick to look towards the drinks and then at each other before shrugging and heading over to them in silent agreement. Jou popped the lids of the bottles with the bottle opener function of his swiss army knife and the two settled themselves against a tree (incidentally the same one Yamato had played the harmonica for Takeru and their partners all those years ago) with the cooler between them.  
‘I knew playing capture the flag was a terrible idea…everyone always goes over the top!’ Jou grumbled as he took a swing of his drink.  
‘Honestly! It’s like no one has any self-control!’ Sora complained before sipping her own drink, her angry expression morphing into a delighted one as she savoured the taste.  
‘You know what…these drinks are delicious!’   
‘No need to tell me! If I wasn’t already in a committed relationship I’ll marry these drinks!’ Jou agreed as he practically guzzled his down (the running for their lives had really left him parched) ‘Now pass me another please!’   
……………………………….................. [45 Minutes Later]……………………………………………………………………………  
The sound of rowdy laughter forced Agumon and Gabumon to look in the direction Sora and Jou were sitting. Deeming it safe enough to leave their charges the two Digimon made their way towards the humans and were greeted with quite the sight: Sora swaying back and forth had her arm around Jou, while the boy rambled on a string of unconnected nonsense about his girlfriend, Gomamon, politics, his nephew and life in general as the carcasses of the entire pack of ginger beer lay scatted around them.   
‘…she doesn’t always get it you know? This Digital world shebang…but she like…tries…like a beautiful intelligent unicorn you see….’ Jou slurred as he tried to bring the bottle to his lips, only for the remaining drink to slosh down his front. The bearer of the crest of reliability watched the liquid soaking into his shirt in confusion before bursting into laughter like the most hilarious thing he had ever encountered in his life had happened.   
‘God *hick* speed my friend…..you know…’ Sora joined in her voice even more garbled ‘…you’re a *hick* freaking legend…. Your girlfriend is a freaking legend! Taimato and Yamachi try and they went through all of this and they’ve never called a beautiful intelligent unicorn!’   
‘You deserve to be called a beautiful intelligent unicornz!’   
‘I *hick* know right! They can be such handsome magnificent bastards!’ Sora agreed before attempting to take several swings of her drink, only for her face to fall as she realized it was empty. Never one to cry over spilt milk however, Sora was quick to shrug it off and continue her tale to Jou.  
‘Likez…they did this thing which really annoyed *hick* me the other day and…..Jou-sempai, is it just me or is the world shaking even though we’re sitting still?’  
‘ohhhh wow….you’re right! It’s like a capsizing ship and oh god it’s making me feel sick!’ Jou agreed as his face turned green, dropping the bottle in his hand, he was quick to shove Sora off him and dash towards the bushes before promptly throwing up, Agumon was thankfully quick enough to snap out of his surprised stupor and rush after him. The little dinosaur rubbing the teenagers back soothingly and catching the boy’s glasses in the nick of time before they fell into a rather impressive pool of vomit. Sora, who had fallen to the ground (something she would have usually given the shover a good talking down for) simply curled into a ball and screwed her eyes shut. Attempting to even her breathing as the world around her span, her body felt like it was buzzing and her stomach did flip flops.  
‘There, there Sora-san…’ Gabumon attempted to console her awkwardly while maintaining a safe distance in case she were to puke (getting his coat clean wasn’t an easy job). Seeking a distraction, his sensitive ears picked up the sounds of shuffling as a somewhat recovered Yamato and Taichi limped over to them carrying the semi-conscious Piyomon and Tentomon respectively.   
‘Holy shit their hammered!’ Taichi explained in shock as a confused Yamato moved to examine one of the discarded bottles, before turning pale and showing his fellow chosen the clearly marked ‘alcoholic ginger beer’ on the label.   
‘Soraa….’ Piyomon wailed as she squirmed out of Yamato’s arms and cuddled by her partner’s side ‘are you okay? Is your head hurting like mine?’   
Receiving only a garbled response the bird Digimon allowed herself to be used as a plushie while Tentomon left Taichi’s arms to snuggle up next to Sora as well, all three of them groaning due to feeling disoriented (albeit for different reasons). Taichi and Yamato meanwhile watched everything in silent horror, the only sounds being an occasional heave from Jou and a curse upon the ginger beer and its descendants from both drunken chosen.  
Shuffling closer to the bushy haired leaded Yamato was quick to whisper ‘How the hell did this happen Taichi? The labels say alcoholic, how did we miss it!’   
‘Don’t blame me, remember we were running late so we just grabbed the drinks and my dad just bought it….’  
‘…and he didn’t check because he was laughing at Takeru and Hikari ripping apart the Twilight saga and Sora and Jou clearly didn’t check either….’  
‘Oh gosh we’re screwed either way….no one checked and now Sora and Jou are smashed.’  
‘Well fuck… this alcoholic ginger beer is famous for not tasting like it has a high alcohol content and getting people wasted….ohhh this is so bad….We can’t let their parents see them like this!’   
‘Hopefully they’re too hung over to kill us! You know this is like walking into an alternate dimension…you’d expect the first time something like this would happen it would be us or Mimi.’  
‘So this is what moral superiority feels like….’   
The sound of a leaves being stepped on and branches being moved soon distracted the boys as their younger siblings emerged from the trees, Tailmon looking particularly smug and gleaming compared to her companions, all of whom were coated head to toe in mud. Takeru and Hikari’s clothes in particular looked plastered on them in a way that was almost indecent but it was the look of pure embarrassment like they had been caught red handed and the way they avoided each other’s eyes that had their brothers glaring at the duo suspiciously. Thankfully for the youngest chosen the lecture was delayed by the sounds or tearful arguing as Koushiro stormed into the clearing where the others were. The boy looking particularly bruised and battered, with twigs sticking out of his hair and dried tear tracks weaving a web down his red face, Mimi followed him soon after, her hair a complete mess from the way she clutched it and reeking of dead fish.   
‘I said I’m sorry…’  
‘Well sorry isn’t good enough! You have no respect for other’s things….you shouldn’t have touched my laptop in the first place. I built that laptop from scratch, its out ticket home! How many times do you have to learn the same lesson?’  
‘It was an accident you jerk!’ Mimi cried her expression morphing from distressed to angry. Gomamon and Palmon in the meanwhile followed them at a quieter pace, carefully cradling the remains of Koushiro’s prized possession (though the latter was quick to hand the lot over to the former and rush over to his still retching partner’s side).   
It was while they were observing the others (and not without some consideration to their bruised balls and black eyes) that Taichi and Yamato came to an epiphany. Grabbing a new stick, the two were quick to tie a sweaty crushed sock to it and holding it aloft together, the two bravely approached their friends.   
‘Chosen and Digimon….look at yourselves! Look at this mess!’ Taichi bellowed in a way that managed to catch everyone’s attention.  
‘This isn’t right….how did one game turn our tried and tested team of six years to shambles?’ Yamato continued.  
‘…ummm Nii-san….your speeches are the ones that are overly dramatic….’ Takeru tried to cut in before he was silenced  
‘Not now Takeru adults are talking….’ Taichi interrupted ‘….now where we…oh yes, lets push aside this pettiness and all just be friends.’  
‘That’s right! Taichi and I hold this flag together and aloft because…’  
‘But that’s a sock on a stick…I’m really confused…’ a still disoriented Tentomon was quick to point out  
Yamato levelled the poor rookie with a glare ‘It was the best we could do. Now….we do so because we have realized how pointless fighting is and how detrimental it is to the team!’  
‘And that is why we are both planting this flag together….because we are a team and most importantly we are friends!’ Taichi grinned (ignoring Tailmon’s headshake and Gabumon motioning to shut up) ‘and today I declare that everyone is a winner! Now let’s all go grab some dinner!’  
With the dramatic speech concluded both boys slammed the flag into the ground together, content they had learned a valuable lesion and resolving to play nice in the future. Unfortunately, despite their good intentions, their audience were not impressed in the slightest.  
‘How dare you two off all people call us out on fighting’ Hikari of all people started the yelling, while Koushiro seethed that they were ‘Hypocrites’ and the others threw in some choice words of their own.  
‘Yamato… I think we should run.  
‘I have never agreed with you more whole heartedly in my life.’   
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
‘Well this sucks…’  
‘My leg itches…’  
‘Oh hush you two…you both deserve this!’ Gabumon was quick to reprimand and even Agumon offered them no sympathy.   
Needless to say, Taichi and Yamato found themselves no match for an angry mob (even when two of those members were drunk) and half an hour later found themselves tied to a tree (lord knows where the others got the rope from) and forced to sit through a funeral for Koushiro’s laptop.  
‘Oh my sweet beautiful Meradith…. I remember building you with my very own hands from the ground up….from the moment I first turned you on…’ Koushiro had to stop his speech to shoot a glare at the other boys snickered at the unintentional innuendo (Jou surprisingly being the worst offender but he got a pass for being shitfaced) ‘…to your last where you were smashed upon the cold hard ground beyond repair….’  
‘heh heh….hard…’ Sora giggled from here place next to where Taichi and Yamato where bound, causing Koushiro to clear his throat in annoyance before continuing.  
‘…you have served me…sorry the team admirably and for that you certainly deserved a better way to go than being brutally murdered by Mimi!’   
‘Why that little…’ Mimi screeched as her hands formed into claws, the girl attempted to lunge at her classmate only to be held back by Jou. Releasing a frustrated sigh the younger girl buried her head into the crook between her upperclassmen’s neck and shoulder, wrapping her arms tightly around his midsection so she didn’t use them to strangle Koushiro instead (yes it was understandable he was upset but it was an accident she had apologised for a million times). Jou for his part offered his friend a comforting pat on the head before promptly beginning to lean against her and snooze as the effects of running for his life, ingesting several bottles of alcohol on an empty stomach and hurling it out caught up to him. Koushiro in the meanwhile, completely oblivious to that little exchange, continued his speech.  
‘…and with that fair Meradith…I bid you adiu and thank you!’ the prodigy concluded and wiped his cheeks as he let go of the raft containing his laptop’s remains and watched it drift further away from him.   
Hikari found herself glancing over at Takeru as the funeral wrapped up and respects were paid, only to blush as he met her eyes. Both looked away quickly and an awkward silence (uncommon in their friendship) eloped the two. It was Takeru who broke the silence,  
‘Hikari are we okay?’ he asked as he watched the raft slowly float off into the distance.   
‘.. .you baka, when were we ever not okay?’ she smiled at him softly, which he returned heartily. The look in his eyes was the same soft look she remembered him giving her at Wizardcon and back when they had been reading books in his apartment and promising to always try remain friends…the one he gave her when she was scared and he proceeded to convince everyone to tell ghost stories to lighten the mood. It was a look that since she noticed how much he had grown up made her want to throw a little caution to the wind, so that’s what she did.   
‘Something with the potential to be really special happened today Takeru,’ she started to say as she shuffled closer ‘and when we’re cleaner and alone maybe we can figure out what it means?’  
Delight coloured her best friend’s eyes as he moved closer to her ‘I would like that very much Hikari.’ He said before shyly reaching for her hand.   
‘oh nononono…..’Taichi fought against his bonds as he observed the scene ‘….now is not the time for this! Sora cock block them!’   
‘What no! Love is a beautiful thing and I’m the chosen of love so I shouldn’t stop it!’ protested the only slightly more sober Sora  
‘I thought we were staying out of this?’ Yamato butted in aggressively   
‘They’re only fourteen….my sister has been through a shit storm already. Let her…actually let them both keep some innocence for a little longer. Don’t you want them to be our babies for a little longer.’  
‘I have to agree with you there…’ Yamato admitted as his eyes flickered between the younger duo and Sora attempting to rise from a sitting position.  
‘Yamato and I got together for the first time at fourteen.’ Sora was quick to point out as she struggled to stand up.   
‘Ohh? And how smoothly has that gone?’ Taichi was quick to concur   
‘….’   
Butterflies in the meanwhile were buzzing around Hikari’s stomach as she reached for Takeru’s hand, their fingertips brushing as they moved to intertwine their fingers….and then before either of them could process what happened Sora was between them holding each of their hands in one of her’s.  
‘Hi sweeties…..beautiful ceremony wasn’t it?’ she slurred with a slight hiccup at the end.  
‘Umm…suree…’ Takeru stuttered as the awkward tension returned tenfold (it didn’t help that Patamon and Tailmon were sniggering behind them).   
Sora took the opportunity to study her two youngest teammates as she reflected on their latest adventure, some of the drunken haze had left her eyes as she squeezed their hands fondly, a proud smile fixed upon her features.  
‘What was that for Sora-Nee?’ Hikari asked amicably (she remembered how Sora, a little girl herself had faced a the leader of the dark masters on her own in an effort to buy them time, for that she would always admire her).   
‘Oh nothing, just reflecting….’ She said before turning to meet Takeru’s amused eyes ‘…hmm I have to look up at you now…don’t stop working on getting taller than your brother though!’ she finished before starting to sway a little.  
‘Anything for you Sora-nee!’   
Hikari giggled as she watched the two interact, the butterflies were still there but more subdued…she could wait a little longer if need be.   
It was just as Hikari was contemplating the possibility of kissing Takeru when the moment was right that Sora threw up on him.   
‘Sora!’ the boy yelled more in surprise than disgust before leaning down to hold her hair out of her face, the Digimon behind them watching on like the events before them were a soap opera.  
‘Sorry…Takeru-Kun…’ Sora whimpered between heaves ‘….This is so crappy!’   
‘It’s okay Sora-san’ Hikari said as she rubbed the girl’s back.  
‘Sora!’ both Taichi and Yamato exclaimed concerned while the rest of the chosen made their way toward the little group, Koushiro wiping his eyes and Mimi dragging along the half asleep Jou with the help of Gomamon and Palmon (Tentomon and Piyomon had stayed at the base of the tree Taichi was tied to with ice packs on their heads).   
‘I think I’ll be best to clean up, grab some food and head home soon.’ Said Koushiro as he glanced at both his drunk friends concerned ‘you guys should get some water into them and clean up while I get my spare laptop up and running.’  
The lakeside suddenly fell deathly quiet and Koushiro (the alarm bells going off in his head) slowly turned around to meet the burning glare of none other than Tachikawa Mimi.  
‘You…had… a…spare?’ she asked between gritted teeth.  
‘Well of course! Meredith was my main laptop but with the hijinks we get up to I always make multiple backups and keep a spare…good thing the only thing I could salvage from Meredith was her motherboard!’   
‘Koushiro run!’ Taichi attempted to warn his friend ‘Run to Server!’   
Heeding his friend’s advice the younger boy started to take a few hesitant steps back before full on bolting with a nervous laugh.  
‘Oh no you don’t!’ Mimi yelled after him ‘Hikari hold our Jou!’ she demanded before placing the eldest into the supportive arms of the younger teenager and tearing off after Koushiro like something out of a road runner cartoon. The movement resulting in Jou waking up with a start to realise he had switched girls and let out a horrified cry.  
‘Oh no…I’ve hugged three girls that aren’t my girlfriend today!’ he wailed as he pulled out his phone ‘…I need to call her, confess my treason and see if she’ll still have me!’   
‘No you don’t!’ Hikari responded alarmed before snatching his phone away from him and tossing it to Gomamon. Takeru opened his mouth to ask if she needed help before his own drunken charge once again threw up on his shoes.   
Jou dropped his head onto Hikari’s (a surprisingly difficult thing owing to the difference in their heights) with a small whimper ‘are you sure I’ve not done anything wrong?’ he asked the way a child would.  
‘Yes I’m sure Jou-Sempai…she’s lucky to have you!’ Hikari assured him gently ‘now go back to sleep.’  
‘Okay…’ the older boy relented before promptly snoozing.  
Taichi and Yamato watched everything with a mixture of amusement and concern. Deeming that everything was under control, Yamato relaxed against the bark with a sigh as he observed the sunset.   
‘You know…this has been a learning experience about how our fighting may affect the rest of the group…’  
‘Not pleasant is it?’ Taichi replied rhetorically as he followed his friend’s line of sight. The sunset had caused the colours in the sky to blend the way a watercolour painting would, except the sunset in the digital world contained hints of other colours one wouldn’t expect to see in a regular sunset back on earth. ‘You know... we spend so much time fighting to protect this world but how often do we just sit still and enjoy it? And before you point out that was what we were doing this morning but it’s just so easy to forget how beautiful this world is too!’   
‘That was profound…I might have to use that as lyrics for a new song.’ Said Yamato as he joined Taichi in enjoying the sunset.  
‘So…’ Taichi said turning to the blond ‘…McDonalds for dinner?’  
‘….Yeah Taichi…McDonald’s with our friends sounds perfect!’


End file.
